The Portal of Time
by illusionlove
Summary: Sent back in time with a secret mission, Hermione Granger finds herself facing 17-year-old Tom Riddle alone. Then, unexpectedly, Hermione fell in love and must learn to listen to her own heart. [On Hiatus]
1. A White Christmas

**Summary:**

Sent back in time with a secret mission, Hermione Granger finds herself facing 17-year-old Tom Riddle alone. Then, unexpectedly, Hermione fell in love and must learn to listen to her own heart.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter in any way, though I would love to. Everything written here is purely for enjoyment purposes and not to be sold for any profit.

**Rating:** T (just to be safe :D)

**Spoilers**: For almost every book.

**Author's Note:**

Hello! This is the first fan-fiction I've ever written, so please read and review! I know the the storyline is rather cliché, but I just love HG/TR pairing! So please give it a shot!  
Anyway, I probably won't update very frequently, thanks to the heavy workload in school, but I'll try my very best to produce a new chapter as fast as I can :D If you find any grammatical errors/inconsistencies, please inform me.

And I have a habit of writing A/N's for every single chapter, so do bear with me :)

This story begins after Book Seven (ignore the Epilogue).

* * *

**Chapter One: A White Christmas**

**Saturday, 25 December, 1997**

**7.40am**

Hermione Granger woke up with a shriek as she felt someone tickling her toes. Opening her eyes sleepily, she saw a redhead standing at the side of her bed, grinning down mischievously at her.

"I was thinking you'd never wake up, Head Girl," Ginny Weasley laughed at her friend's annoyed expression, her warm brown eyes sparkling as she placed a box of chocolates on Hermione's bedside table. She drew the curtains apart in one swift moment, allowing sunlight to pour into the dark room, lighting it up at once. "Merry Christmas!"

_You would have thought that sharing a common room with your best girl friend would be the best thing on Earth_, Hermione shook her head groggily. _Not if that friend is going to wake you up in the wee hours of dawn every day. _

Averting her eyes due to the sudden brightness of the room, Hermione attempted to push herself out of bed. "Thanks, Gin," Hermione said rather sarcastically as she leaned against her pillow lazily, "For the present, _not_ the waking me up part." Yawning, she reached over the side of her bed and emerged, seconds later, with a neatly wrapped present. "Merry Christmas to you too. What time is it?"

Ginny glanced at her watch and smirked. "7.45am, and if I'm not wrong, you promised to meet Harry and Ron in the common room 10 minutes ago."

"What…? Oh no!" Hermione exclaimed, as she realized what Ginny was implying. Her hand shot up to her mouth as she stole a quick glance at her alarm clock on her bedside, just to confirm what Ginny had told her. Frantically searching for her comb, she rushed through her usual morning routine. Barely 5 minutes later, she grabbed the pile of presents under her bed and waved a hurried goodbye to an amused-looking Ginny.

* * *

Bursting into the crowded Gryffindor common room, Hermione spotted Harry Potter and an impatient looking Ron Weasley sitting on two armchairs by the fireplace immediately. Ron's striking red hair was definitely hard to miss.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had been offered one more year at Hogwarts, since they had spent almost their entire 7th year finding and destroying Horcruxes, and eventually defeating the Dark Lord, Voldemort. When they had returned to Hogwarts, Hermione was naturally appointed as Head Girl, given her good brains and quick judgement, and Harry the Head Boy. Ron, on the other hand, was improving so rapidly in Quidditch that he had now took over Harry's place as Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain, much to everyone's surprise.

Pausing to catch her breath, Hermione smiled to herself at the sight of Harry busily opening the heap of presents beside his chair. Harry had turned even more popular since the start of the school year, and the fact that he dueled and killed Voldemort, restoring peace in the wizarding world, only added on to his popularity. He had also sprouted a good three inches over the holiday, his hair grew out and became less untidy, and with his undeniable good looks, one could easily see why so many girls were attracted to him. Ginny however, was not particularly enthusiastic about the circle of girls who always surrounded him, and Hermione was subjected to her dozen or so complaints about it ever since.

Ron was tapping his fingers on the arms of his chair, looking at Harry's presents jealously. He was with Lavender, his current girlfriend, who chose to stay on another year just to keep Ron company. Hermione was secretly amazed at how easily Lavender could manage to persuade Dumbledore to let her remain in Hogwarts, but she would never tell that to Lavender - she had a rather high self-esteem as it is already. She leaned against his legs, chatting away happily, completely oblivious that Ron's attention was diverted.

"Sorry I'm late!" Hermione sank down in the couch beside them, out of breath. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Hermione," Harry looked up with a smile. He reached out and placed a heavy square package in her hands. "You'll like it; it's a book Sirius once gave to me. Thought you'd like something to remind him of," He explained as he met Hermione's curious glance.

"Here," a grouchy Ron threw a rectangular box into her hands, eyeing the squarish present Hermione was holding suspiciously. "And don't tell me you got another book for me. You know I haven't even started on _The Standard Book of Non-verbal Spells_you gave me in our 5th year."

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Ron," she said sternly, "That book would have helped you _a lot_ in your O.W.L.s if only you had read it! I didn't plan on buying you another book anyway, you had enough to last you a lifetime given the speed at which you're reading them."

Ron opened his mouth, about to argue, when Lavender giggled and pulled herself up. "Hermy," she waggled a finger in Hermione's direction, "That's _not_the way to treat my Won-Won!"

_I swear she just calls me Hermy because she knows I don't like it._Hermione thought, rolling her eyes at Lavender's failed imitation of Professor McGonagall while Harry and Ron laughed.

"Do you or do you not want your Christmas present?" She asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Not waiting for his response, she took out a packet of _Fizzing__Whizbees_ and dumped it into Ron's lap, ignoring his look of surprise and exclamation of "_Bloody hell_, Hermione, I've been looking for this for ages!"

Turning to face Harry, she handed him a circular object. "Thanks Hermione, that makes it the hundred and thirtieth present I've received today," Harry grinned widely, gesturing to the huge pile beside him before fixing his gaze on the object. "What is it?"

"It's a Remembrance Orb. I found it in Diagon's Alley the other day. If you look into it, it…it'll show the objects or people you miss the most." She said, in much softer tone than she had used with Ron. Her eyes were fixed on her friend, observing his reaction.

Harry was silent as he stared into the Orb. "Thank you, 'Mione," he finally whispered, without tearing his eyes away from the object he was holding. "This is one of the best Christmas gifts I've ever received."

Hermione thought she spotted a trickle of tears rolling down the side of his face. Her insides churned as she saw Harry's longing gaze, overwhelming her with pity for her best friend. _This is ALL Voldemort's fault, _she thought fiercely._ If not for him, none of this would have happened. Harry's parents would not have died, and he would not have to endure so much pain! No one would have to die - not Fred, not Sirius, no one!_

"Hey, mate, cheer up!" Ron slapped Harry on the shoulder, obviously in a good mood after receiving Hermione's present. "It's Christmas!"

Harry gave Ron a half-hearted smile as all four of them stood up, ready to go to the Great Hall for their breakfast. Absorbed in her own thoughts about Lord Voldemort, Hermione nearly bumped into someone as she walked down the corridor.

"Oh!" Hermione looked up and was startled to see Professor McGonagall standing in front of her. "Professor, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you…"

"Miss Granger," Minerva McGonagall cut her off abruptly. "Professor Dumbledore has asked to see you at his office, immediately. He would not disclose to me what the matter is, but it seems to be extremely important. Go, now."

Hermione stared at McGonagall for a second, surprise at the urgency in her voice. _What could Dumbledore possibly want me for?_She racked her mind for a list of things that the headmaster might need to say to her personally. _Head duties? But then, wouldn't Harry be called for as well? _Beckoning for her friends to follow her, she started up the stairs.

"No, the rest of you, stay here," Hermione turned around as she heard the professor's sharp voice again. "Miss Brown, Potter and Weasley, the headmaster has specifically only asked for _Miss Granger_ to go."

Harry shot Hermione a worried but curious glance, as she shrugged, feeling rather clueless herself, and headed for Dumbledore's office on her own.

* * *

**A/N: **So there you are, my first chapter! I do hope it's okay, so please review so that I know that there are people reading the story :)


	2. An Unexpected Shock

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my first chapter! Do continue reviewing so that I can know your opinions on how the story is progressing :)

* * *

_"No, the rest of you, stay here," Hermione turned around as she heard the professor's sharp voice again. "Miss Brown, Potter and Weasley, the headmaster has specifically only asked for Miss Granger to go."_

_Harry shot Hermione a worried but curious glance, as she shrugged, feeling rather clueless herself, and headed for Dumbledore's office on her own._

**Chapter Two****: The Unexpected Shock**

**Saturday, 25 December, 1997**

**8.30****am**

Reaching the gargoyle that stood in front of the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office at last, Hermione mumbled, "Acid Pops." At the sound of her voice, the gargoyle suddenly came to life and moved aside, allowing Hermione to pass through.

Looking around, Hermione realised that the headmaster's office had not changed since the last time she saw it. Portraits of former headmasters hung on the walls of the large, circular room. An incredible collection of books which make up the private library of Dumbledore were set on the shelves at the back on the room - and Hermione had always longed to set her hands on some of the rare books he possessed.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled at Hermione behind the desk, making her jump and quickly turning her head in the direction of his voice. She had not detected his presence when she entered the room, probably too engrossed in surveying her surroundings. "Please take a seat. I trust that you had a good breakfast?"

"Good morning, Professor," she greeted him as she lowered herself onto the chair in front of the headmaster's desk, unsure of what to expect. "And, well, no, I haven't really eaten breakfast. Professor McGonagall asked me to see you while I was on my way to the Great Hall."

Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Minerva, she's always so efficient in her tasks. Here, help yourself to a cookie. Of course, the breakfast at Christmas is much better, but we will have to make do with this if you do not want to starve till lunch."

"Professor, what is this important issue that you need to talk to me about?" Hermione blurted out, unable to stop her inquisitive and impatient nature.

Dumbledore's merry expression suddenly turned serious and solemn. He sighed heavily, and looked straight ahead of him, not meeting Hermione's eyes. "I'm afraid, Hermione, that I have received some grave news."

He paused, and then began again, speaking slower this time. "You have seen the battle last year, and you have seen Voldemort's defeat. Alas, while that is certainly very well done by Harry, Voldemort's followers, or Death Eaters, have been very upset at the news of their lord's death. They want revenge, Hermione, revenge against Harry, against us all. This will lead to a battle, which I fear will cause the lives of many to be at stake."

Hermione stared at Dumbledore, perplexed. _I don't understand, does he want me to fight against the Death Eaters? Of course I will! But why is he telling me this? Why only me? And not Ron, nor Harry? _

"Sir," she asked, choosing her words carefully. "I understand the severity of the problem, but – what can we do other than to fight them?"

"That is what I want to talk to you about, Hermione," Albus Dumbledore stood up, and examined the shelf of books behind him, turning his back to Hermione. "I have spent a long time pondering over this issue, and we only have two alternatives. The first, of course, is to battle against the Death Easters and pray for the best. The second…" He trailed off, lowering his head in deep thought.

"The second alternative, Professor?" Hermione prompted, her mind going over rapidly the words Dumbledore had said to her since she stepped into the office this morning, and attempting to make sense of them. "What is it?"

The headmaster turned around slowly and faced Hermione, his expression grim. He now held a dusty and ancient book in his hands, and by the torn and tattered look of it, it had been around for years. Placing it down on the desk and sending dust all around, he pushed the book over to Hermione silently, and with a beckon of his hand, gave her the permission to read it. Hermione stared at it with increasing curiosity, and pushing back a lock of her thick brown hair, she eagerly leaned down to read its title, which was so faint and faded that she had to squint her eyes to make out the letters.

_THE PORTAL OF TIME AND OTHER ANCIENT MAGIC__ FORGOTTEN OVER THE YEARS._

_What is this? What portal? I've never heard of such a thing before! _Hermione wondered, reaching forward to take the book in her hands. The pages were yellowish and thin, as if they would break into dust any moment if not handled with care.

Gingerly, she flipped open the first page and spotted a Table of Contents right off. _The Portal of Time…Time Travel Legends…Traveling Between the Past and Present Worlds..._Hermione read silently, her growing surprise and astonishment showing on her face. Her intelligent mind quickly processed what all this could possibly mean, gasping as she realized the absurd idea that Dumbledore might have had.

_But…that's not right…it can't b__e, _Hermione argued with herself as she raised her head to look at the headmaster, her eyes pleading, hoping, _praying_ for him to reassure her that her conclusion was wrong.

Instead, Dumbledore gave her a little nod as if he knew what she was thinking. Hermione's mouth dropped open in an "O" shape. "But, sir, surely you don't mean…." She hesitated, collecting her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Sir, you can't possibly be thinking that…that we use time travel? But that could only happen when time-turners are used, couldn't it?"

She braced herself for his answer, keeping her eyes steadily on the silver ornaments on his desk. "Yes, Hermione, I believe you are quite right," Dumbledore replied slowly. "But you see, recently, I have discovered the spell to create a _portal _which allows one to travel back in time, for up to a few hundred years. That is why, Hermione, I would like you to go back to the past, for fifty years or so, when Tom Riddle is still in Hogwarts, and stop him from turning to the evil side."

The silence that followed the headmaster's words was unbearable. Hermione stared at him blankly. She opened her mouth, searching for the words she knew she should say, but could not. Finally, she whispered, "But Professor, how do I s-stop him from becoming Voldemort?"

The headmaster sighed again, his deep blue eyes losing their usual twinkle. "That I do not know, my dear girl. Which is why I have chosen you to embark on this mission. I believe in your capability to make wise decisions, and overcome whatever challenges you may face, which, may I add, you certainly will." As Hermione's eyes widened with each word he spoke, he continued, "But I hope that will not deter you from completing this important task."

"Chosen me, sir?" Hermione repeated, taken aback. "You don't mean to say…that Harry and Ron are not coming with me?"

Dumbledore gave a weak chuckle. "No, they are not. I'm afraid the Golden Trio has to break apart for this once - the portal can only transport one person back in time. Both Ron and Harry are too prejudiced against Tom Riddle, and I do not wish for Harry to suffer like he would if he were to meet the demon who killed his parents. Of course, I do not wish to force you to complete this mission. You have a choice – and you can decide if you would like to travel to the past and create a better future for us all, Miss Granger. May I know your decision?"

Hermione closed her eyes, letting the truth sink in. _She, Hermione Granger, was going to face Tom Riddle on her own, and try to defeat him without help from anyone. Could she do it?_

"How does this portal work, Professor?" She asked, at last, choosing not to answer his question. "Is it…safe?"

Dumbledore actually smiled for the briefest moment as he pondered over her question. "Yes, I should think the portal is safe enough to be used. However, its functions are quite complicated, and would take me quite a bit of time to explain, so I will only do so when you, Hermione, make your choice."

Then came the question Hermione dreaded the most. "Are you willing to travel back in time and stop Lord Voldemort from turning to the evil side?"


	3. A Trip to the Past

_Then came the question Hermione dreaded the most. "Are you willing to travel back in time and stop Lord Voldemort from turning to the evil side?"_

**Chapter 3: ****A Trip to the Past**

**Saturday, 25 December, 1997**

**12.05p****m**

Hermione left the headmaster's office in a state of shock and confusion. She could not believe she had just said "Yes" to the most ridiculous and bizarre plan she had ever heard of, and being best friends with Harry and Ron for seven years, that was really saying something.

She rubbed her temples as she hurried along the hallway, wanting nothing more than the comfort of the quiet Head's common room in order to sort out her thoughts.

"Hey, Mione!" Hermione winced inwardly as she recognized the familiar voice. Wheeling around, she was not surprised to see the two inseparable couples, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Lavender standing in front of her.

"Where have you been? You just missed the best breakfast in the whole year! We had chocolate éclairs, pumpkin pastries and treacle tarts – all in one meal! You should have seen Harry; he was practically stuffing food down his throat," Ron told her, grinning from ear to ear.

"What did Dumbledore want you for?" Harry asked, ignoring Ron's previous comment, as he surveyed her face inquiringly.

"Well," Hermione hesitated, remembering what Dumbledore had told her just minutes ago.

_Please do not inform anyone about the plan I've just told you about, Miss Granger, not even Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. You have to keep this a secret as interference from others will hinder you in this mission._

"H-he just wanted to brief me on some Head Girl duties," Hermione lied, wishing that she could tell them the truth as one, she was never good at lying, and two, because she really needed someone whom she could confide in and advice her right now.

To her immense relief, before Harry had a chance to say anything, Lavender gave her trademark giggle and jumped to Ron's side, grabbing his hand. "Let's not waste this day by standing here and talking! Come on!" Pulling her boyfriend along, she skipped towards the Hogwarts Grounds, where large groups of students had already gathered. Snowballs flew through the air, smashing into trees and walls, and shrieks of laughter could easily be heard.

As she watched her friends fooling about in the snow, Hermione Granger had much more important issues to think about.

* * *

**Sunday, 26 December, 1997**

**11.00****am**

Hermione was seated in the headmaster's office, again. This time, however, she was more prepared for what she might hear.

For the past two hours, she had been listening attentively to Dumbledore telling her about significant events – or at least, _he_ thought they were significant – in Tom Riddle's childhood days. They had also gone over every single detail of the people, places, and things back in 1944. Hermione could almost memorize all the names of the teachers teaching in Hogwarts then – Slughorn, Kettleburn, Fialdum, Cheoldet ….

"As I have promised you, Hermione, I will explain to you how the portal which you will be travelling by works," The sound of Dumbledore's calm voice jerked Hermione back to reality.

Hermione leaned forward keenly as he began to speak. "This portal is one that will allow a person, one and only one, to travel back in time to the period he or she desires. When you go back to the past, Hermione, you are always able to return to the present if you enter through the portal again. However, one very important thing you have to take note of is that, _even when you are in the past, time still continues in the present world, and vice versa._"

When Hermione gazed at the old man, baffled, he sighed and added quietly, "Take this for example. Let's say you travelled through the portal to the past right now and stayed there for a day. When you return to the present world, it would already be Monday. Therefore, you should not dwell too long in the past world and neglect your present surroundings. You would have a lot of explaining to do with your friends then. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Hermione gaped at the unusually serious headmaster, at a loss of words.

_How can that be?_ _How can it be possible to travel to and fro? This is time we're talking about! Time, which is supposedly unchangeable except for the use of Time Turners!_

Instead of voicing her thoughts, Hermione asked a more pressing question instead. "But Professor, haven't you always told us not to change the past? Why would you suggest doing this now?"

The sun rose higher above the horizon now; light shone in through the window and fell upon Dumbledore, upon his silver beard and hair, upon the lines on his forehead. He looked so old and weary all of a sudden, as if he was burdened with the weight of the entire world.

"I have no choice, Miss Granger. You have seen how terrible and cruel wars can be. Too many have already died battling Voldemort. " He replied with a tired smile. Hermione was not satisfied with his short answer which did not really answer her question, but she knew there was no point in pursuing the issue further; Dumbledore was not going to say any more than what he already had.

Suddenly picking up speed, he continued briskly. "I have told you previously that I'm taking the role of the Deputy Headmaster in 1944. When I transport you back in time, the first thing you should do is to _find me_. I will most likely be in the Deputy Headmaster's Room – you know where that is."

"Yes, Sir," said Hermione, getting rather tired by all these details, which Dumbledore had already told her a thousand times or so, but trying not to show it out of respect.

Wordlessly, the headmaster stood up, surveyed Hermione's anxious face, and then walked slowly to the window.

"You have 3 months to work with, Miss Granger. By that, I mean to stop Tom Riddle from becoming what he will become. As far as I know, the Death Eaters are already planning their attacks, and my guess is that they will attack before March, when all their forces have been gathered. We don't have much time left."

"I hope you understand the importance of this, Hermione. What you are about to do will most certainly affect the future of the whole wizarding world on a rather major scale. Please do not act impulsively, and remember that your actions could very well decide the fate of many."

Without giving Hermione a chance to reply, Dumbledore pointed his wand towards an empty spot in his office and shouted, "Sempiternitas Portativus!"

Before Hermione's very own eyes, a bright blue spot started to form on the area where Dumbledore had indicated. Seconds later, it became a glowing, shimmering circle, only large enough for one person to step into.

_Why, oh why did she __ever agree to do this? She might not even succeed, and if she could not stop Tom Riddle from rising to power, what will happen then? _

_It's not fair, _Hermione thought, rather bitterly. _If anyone dies fighting the Death Eaters, it will be my fault for not stopping Lord Voldemort. It's not supposed to be like this!_

Dumbledore seemed to have detected the fear in Hermione's eyes. "Please do not misunderstand, Hermione. I'm by no means trying to put any pressure on you. I have known you long enough to know that you can be trusted upon, and I have complete faith in you that you will be able to complete this task I have set for you." He smiled encouragingly at her, breaking her train of thoughts.

"Whenever you are ready, then, Miss Granger."

_What? Right now? But I'm not prepared! You didn't even tell me what exactly I have to do!_ Hermione bit her lips to prevent herself from screaming at the headmaster.

"Professor, do I have to go now?" Hermione asked, attempting to keep the pleading tone out of her voice, but failed miserably.

"I'm afraid so, Hermione," The old man looked at her, with a strange expression in his eyes. Was it pity? Hermione could not tell. "The longer you linger here, the more danger the citizens of Hogwarts will be put into. I'll see you soon, I expect."

_I can't believe I'm __really doing this!_

With one last look at Albus Dumbledore, who merely nodded and murmured, "Good luck", Hermione took a deep breath, and stepped into the circle. Before she knew it, she felt herself being sucked into a large spiral hole and everything around her went black.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the slow update! Exams are approaching so the next chapter will probably be up quite late. Hope you like this chapter!


	4. The Girl Named Helene Naelitte

_With one last look at Albus Dumbledore, who merely nodded and murmured, "Good luck", Hermione took a deep breath, and stepped into the circle. Before she knew it, she felt herself being sucked into a large spiral hole and everything around her went black._

**Chapter 4: The Girl Named Helene Naelitte**

**Friday, September 1st, 1944**

**2.30pm**

_Where am I?_ That was the first thought that occurred to Hermione as she opened her eyes, finding herself lying flat on the ground. Her head throbbed with pain as she raised herself to a sitting position, leaning against the cold, hard stone wall for support.

Raising her head to get a better view of her surroundings, Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion as she realized that she had no idea where she was.

_I don't recognize this place, _Hermione thought, suddenly panicky. She silently cursed herself for not paying more attention to the map of Hogwarts that Dumbledore had shown her earlier.

Picking up her wand from the floor, Hermione forced herself to get up onto her feet. _Calm down, Hermione, everything is going to be okay. _She told herself repeatedly as she scanned the room she was in for an exit, finally spotting one at the far end of the room. Trying to calm her wildly beating heart, Hermione made her way towards the door and opened it ever so slightly, peeking out into the empty corridor.

She stepped out of the room, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the hallway. Her footsteps echoed in the silent hallway she hurried down the corridor, hoping that she could, by some miracle, find the Deputy Headmaster's Office.

"Can I help you?" She stopped abruptly as she heard a familiar voice behind her. _I recognize that voice, but whose is it?_

Just as she was debating whether to turn around or to make a run for it, the source of the voice had stepped in front of her, blocking her escape route. Left with no choice, Hermione Granger glanced at the man before her, her eyes widening as she saw who he was.

_It can't be! Luck must be on my side today. _Hermione was so shocked that she nearly stumbled, but caught herself in time. She knew she had to say something, but at that moment, she could not think of any logical explanation that she could give the deputy headmaster about her sudden presence in Hogwarts.

Albus Dumbledore surveyed Hermione with curiosity, a bemused expression on his face. He looked like an exact duplicate of the future Dumbledore, but younger, of course. Hermione's eyes travelled up to his hair automatically – it was auburn, instead of silver, just like his beard.

"P-professor," Hermione started, fumbling over her words in her nervousness. "I-I can explain, but could we discuss this privately? It's supposed to be kept a secret from everyone else."

* * *

Three hours later, Hermione was exhausted. She had told the young Dumbledore everything, from the rise of Voldemort to how she was sent back in time by his future self. Nervously, she twirled her long brown curls around her finger and glanced at the deputy headmaster who was deep in thought. He had listened attentively throughout her monologue, and the unusual silence and lack of opinions from the future headmaster made her uncomfortable. She was not quite sure whether Dumbledore believed in her story, but if he had not, he certainly did a good job of hiding it.

"Well, I have to say, Miss –," Albus Dumbledore paused, looking at her expectantly.

"Hermione Granger, sir," Hermione quickly piped in, eager to hear what he thought of the matter.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Dumbledore's face was thoughtful. "That was certainly… an unexpected story." He must have seen Hermione's face fell, because he quickly added. "However, I do believe that you are speaking the truth, though I hate to think that Tom would commit such a terrible crime."

"You must have realized, my dear girl, that this is an extremely important matter. We have to think this through properly before we act. What I suggest, if I may, is that you keep your real identity a secret, and be known as a seventh-year transfer student from a well-known wizarding school. I will explain this to your teachers, without revealing the complete truth, of course. Just as a precaution, I advise you to change your name."

_What? Change my name? To what? I'm perfectly fine with being called Hermione Jean Granger!_Just as Hermione was about to open her mouth and argue, Dumbledore raised up a hand to silence her.

"I know it may sound absurd, but it is the best option we have for now. Who knows what the family name Granger may be associated to? I'll give you a choice, Hermione, what would you like to be called?"

Hermione hesitated for a minute, and then, meeting the deputy headmaster's eyes steadily, she said, "Helene Naelitte."

* * *

**6.00pm**

Hurrying out of Dumbledore's office, Hermione glanced at her watch and realized with a jolt that the students taking the Hogwarts Express had probably reached the school already.

_Which means I have to go to the Great Hall and be sorted now_, she thought, dreading the event. _What would the students and teachers think?_

Her mind went back to the conversation she just had with the Deputy-Headmaster. She had not chosen the name "Helene Naelitte" at random, of course. Naelitte was the last name of a witch whom she respected very much. She had been a leader of the "Protect the Rights of House Elves" movement in the 1800s, and was the first female healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. As for Helene, well, that was the name of her great great grandmother, and the first name that she had thought of.

As Hermione rushed around a corner, she collided with a student walking in the opposite direction, causing the both of them to fall to the ground.

_Great job, Hermione._ She winced. _You just had to offend the first person you meet._

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She asked, concerned, picking herself up from the floor immediately and reaching out to help the boy whom she had knocked into.

The boy, however, ignored her outstretched hand and pushed himself up. He straightened his robes as he raised his head, shooting Hermione a cold glare.

With a gasp, Hermione found herself staring into the familiar, pale yet dangerously handsome face of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

* * *

**A/N:** Tell me what you think about this chapter! I know it's a little short, but I couldn't add on anything else without spoiling the plot. And special thanks goes to everyone who reviewed my last few chapters! :)


	5. The New Slytherin

_With a gasp, Hermione found herself staring into the familiar, pale yet dangerously handsome face of Tom Marvolo Riddle._

**Chapter 5: ****The New Slytherin**

**Friday, September 1****st****, 1944**

**6.20pm**

Hermione stood, transfixed, staring open-mouthed at the tall, lean figure towering before her. _Could this be…the young version of Lord Voldemort? _

It was Tom Riddle's icy voice that brought her back to reality. "Watch where you're going." He gave her one last scathing look before turned on his heels and stalking off in the opposite direction, leaving Hermione rooted to the ground in shock.

_Was it my imagination? Did I just see the person who has been the sole cause of all my troubles and nightmares for all these years?_

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and reminded herself sternly. _Hermione Jean Granger, this is what you've signed up for when you agreed to the plan. You have to get used to seeing him around!_

Calming her wildly-beating heart, Hermione slowly made her way to the Great Hall, quickening her pace when she realized that the Entrance Hall was already empty. Opening the familiar pair of double oak doors slightly, she peered inside the Great Hall and smiled faintly when she saw the line of first-years huddled together near Albus Dumbledore, whispering and staring at a dirty, brown, pointy wizard's hat.

The sorting ceremony was just about to begin.

Sliding into the hall quietly, she saw Dumbledore beckoning her over from the corner of her eye. Attempting to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible, she scurried over to the young man and lined up behind the first-years.

The hat twitched and began to sing the same song that Hermione heard when she entered Hogwarts for the first time.

_"Oh you may not think me pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

As the hat finished the final verse of the song, the hall erupted into applause. Dumbledore stepped forward then, holding a long roll of parchment. He raised a hand to silence the students, his face beaming. "Now, when I call your name, please put on the hat and sit on the stool. The hat will sort you into your respective houses."

"Acova, Lesley!"

A small girl with brown plaits ran towards the hat, putting it on excitedly. At once, the sorting hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Hermione watched wistfully as the Gryffindor table cheered and clapped for the new girl. For a second, she wished that she was not here with a mission to stop someone from committing evil, but as a carefree first year who was just about to start her journey in Hogwarts.

When the last first-year, with the name of "Zachary, Ogen" has been sorted, Dumbledore turned to face Hermione, his blue eyes twinkling as he spoke. "We have a new seventh-year student, Helene Naelitte, with us today. Please extend your warm welcome to her."

Upon hearing her name, Hermione stepped forward nervously, not knowing what to expect. She could hear a sudden murmur of voices amongst the students as everyone turned in her direction.

"Who is she?"

"Why is she here? Isn't she a seventh-year?"

"How could she be accepted into Hogwarts? I thought the school doesn't allow transfer students?"

Trying her best to ignore the curious stares she was receiving, Hermione plopped down on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on her head immediately. At least, it could help to block off the remarks coming from the other students, which she was not sure she wanted to hear just yet.

"Hmm," a small voice said in her ear. "I could see that you're here with a mission. Difficult, very difficult. Now, where shall I put you?"

Hermione sighed inwardly as she made her decision which she knew she would regret later on. "Slytherin, please."

"Slytherin? Are you sure? You know, you would be much better off in Ravenclaw or even Griffindor, although you _are_ a little cunning and ambitious. Well, if it's your final decision, then you're in – SLYTHERIN!"

The hat shouted the last word, and Hermione winced. She did not like the idea of joining the Slytherins, who would surely be much nastier and unfriendly to her than the other houses. But what other choices did she have? If she wanted to complete this task Dumbledore set for her as soon as possible, it was only logical if she went to the same house as Tom Riddle in order to gain more information about him.

Hermione took off the hat and walked to the Slytherin table briskly, keeping her head down and avoiding the eyes of the inquisitive students. She found an empty space at the edge of the table, and sat down silently. She was pretty sure that no one would bother strike up a conversation with her, much less become her friend here. However, she was proven wrong soon by the girl seated next to her.

"Hello, my name is Erika," a friendly voice beside her piped up. "You're Helene, aren't you?"

Hermione turned, and was surprised to see a smile on Erika's pale but pleasant face. "Yes, I am," She replied tentatively, not quite knowing what to say.

Erika shook back her long golden curls and surveyed her keenly, a curious look in her eyes. "Say, I don't want to sound like a busy-body, but where are you from?"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Slytherin table –

Tom Riddle was frowning as he tried to get a good look at the seventh-year who had just joined their house. She reminded him vaguely of the girl he had bumped into previously.

"Hey, Riddle," Abraxas Malfoy said in an undertone, looking in the direction of the new comer. "Do you reckon that this Naelitte person could be the one mentioned in the prophecy? I mean, she –" He trailed off as he saw the look on Tom Riddle's face.

"I am not quite sure of it," Tom replied. "If she is, though, I have no intention of letting her get in my way of doing things."

Tom hated mysteries of any kind. He was determined to find out who, and why Helene Naelitte was here at Hogwarts, no matter what it takes.

* * *

Hermione had just told Erika her carefully planned out story of how her family had moved to here from England, and that she previously attended another wizarding school, The Salem Witches' Institute. She had tried to sound as convincing as possible, and as far as she could tell, Erika had accepted that she was just a normal transfer student without questions.

The table before them was now piled with delicious and mouth-watering food – roast chicken, baked potatoes, sausages, steak, apple pies, jam doughnuts – just to name a few.

Hermione was not eating though – she had no appetite after the day's happenings. As Erika chatted away happily, she nodded, "ooh-ed" and "ahh-ed" whenever Erika paused. Her mind, however, was not on the "hot Quidditch players" Erika was describing to her in every detail. Squinting her eyes, she looked around the table, her eyes finally resting upon a boy who bore a passing resemblance to Harry – Tom Riddle.

Erika finally looked up, realising that she did not have the full attention of her companion.

"Are you even listening to me?" She demanded, rather annoyed.

"Yes, I am," Hermione lied, tearing her eyes away from Riddle. "You were talking about the new beater on the team, Seah."

Erika ignored Hermione as she looked in the direction her friend was gazing at a few moments ago – and giggled.

"Oh, alright, I forgive you. That's Tom, Tom Riddle. I won't blame you for looking at him – it's obvious that he's extremely attractive and desirable, but the truth is that he wouldn't look at any girl twice." She sighed, a dreamy look coming onto her face. "What wouldn't I give for just one date with him?"

Hermione gritted her teeth as she bit her lips to stop herself from screaming, "He's _Voldemort_ for goodness' sake!"

After all, she really could not blame Erika. She was not supposed to know what happened 50 years later, and truth was, Tom Riddle _was_ handsome, even if she hated to admit it.

* * *

At last, the last plates of food had been cleared away from the table. The headmaster, Armando Dippet, got to his feet, and the buzz in the Great Hall died down immediately.

"Yes, yes, welcome, our new and old students," He said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "The rules are as usual – the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds…."

Hermione could not help but compare Dippet's long and boring speech to the cheerful and witty one that Dumbledore had given when she herself had been a first-year, and she preferred the latter much, much more.

Finally, he set them off for bed, after reminding them _again _that no loitering along the corridors was allowed after ten at night. Hermione yawned as she stood up, stretching her arms tiredly.

Erika laughed. "You're lucky. We had to endure him for all seven years here. It drives us mad sometimes."

Hermione smiled at her friend, secretly heaving a sigh of relief that she had found at least _one_ friend in Slytherin. Her smile was cut short though, as she spotted two guys coming towards her. One had pale blond hair and a sneering face which reminded her of Draco Malfoy, and the other was undoubtedly Tom Riddle.

* * *

**A/N: **How is the new chapter? As usual, reviews are appreciated!


	6. Malfoy, The Big Headed Git

_Hermione smiled at her friend, secretly heaving a sigh of relief that she had found at least one friend in Slytherin. Her smile was cut short though, as she spotted two guys coming towards her. One had pale blond hair and a sneering face which reminded her of Draco Malfoy, and the other was undoubtedly Tom Riddle._

**Chapter 6****: Malfoy, the Big-Headed Git**

**Friday, September 1****st****, 1944**

**8.35pm**

"Ah, new girl, I see," Abraxas Malfoy drawled as he walked past Hermione, stopping deliberately and blocking her way of exit. "I wonder why they put you in Slytherin, when you are so obviously," He leaned closer to her ear and whispered. "Not a pure-blood."

He then stood back, smirking, and watched her expression change at his words. One look around told Hermione that most of the Slytherins who had not yet left were watching them with interest, and a couple of them were whooping and cheering Malfoy on. _Typical Slytherins, _Hermione thought wryly.

"Leave her alone," Erika snapped, fixing Malfoy with a sharp glare. Turning towards Hermione, she grabbed her arm and attempted to push past Malfoy, but he stood his ground and refused to budge.

"Erika! Are you coming? Dippet is waiting for us! Have you forgotten that all prefects have to report to him on the first day?" A male voice called out from the far end of the hall.

It was then that Hermione noticed the dark green and silver badge pinned on Erika's robes. A large 'P' was carved on the Slytherin snake on the badge. She half-smiled as she thought of her own similar Gryffindor badge, except that hers had the letters "HG" on it.

Erika glanced at the trio briefly. She then shot Hermione an apologetic glance, mouthing, "Will you be alright on your own? I can stay with you if you want."

"No, go ahead. I'm okay." Hermione replied, a little too cheerfully. She attempted a bright smile at her friend, not wanting to hinder her from doing her prefect duties. In actual fact, she wished she had Erika with her. At least she would not have to face the full wrath of Malfoy and Riddle alone.

"ERIKA! HURRY UP!"

Erika winced at the sound of her name booming across the hall, and shouted, "Coming!" She gave Hermione an assuring pat on her shoulder, and then ran off towards the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Poor little new girl who can't even stand up for herself," Malfoy mocked Hermione in a high-pitched girly voice as soon as Erika left, which caused the nearby Slytherins to burst out with laughter.

Hermione felt her face getting hot, but she tried to ignore him by turning away from him. _He's even more annoying than Draco Malfoy! Does this run in the family or what? _She fumed, clenching her fists to stop herself from slapping him across the face, just like she did to Draco.

"Reply me when I'm talking to you!" Abraxas Malfoy grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look at him in the eyes. She gritted her teeth and glared at him defiantly. "Or are you a – _mudblood who is incapable of talking?"_

That was when Hermione lost her control. It was as if a nerve inside her brain suddenly snapped.

"At least I'm better than those people who talk nonsense just to show off their stupidity and ignorance!" She shot back scathingly, throwing a dirty look at Malfoy.

"Are you saying I'm stupid?" Malfoy asked in a dangerous voice, looking rather stunned that she dared to say such a thing to him.

"Glad you figured that out. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go. I don't stand around talking to people who are not worthy of my time."

"W-what?" Malfoy sputtered. Regaining his cool, he scowled at her. "And you think a _mudblood_ is worthy of my time?"

All this while, Tom Riddle, who was standing beside Malfoy, was silent. He was watching the furious conversation between them unfold, smirking. Finally, Abraxas Malfoy, after being called a low-intelligence nitwit, stomped off furiously, pushing past the circle of observers, leaving Riddle and Hermione behind.

Riddle was the one who broke the silence between them.

"I believe that you have annoyed my friend greatly," he observed quietly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Well, he deserved it!" Hermione retorted, still glaring at the figure of Malfoy which was slowly disappearing from her sight.

"You are…very different from the people here. And perhaps Malfoy is right – you don't seem to belong here in Slytherin. Until now, I have never met anyone else who would even disagree with him, much less insult him. It is certainly refreshing to see a change."

"Well, I don't see why people don't stand up to him. He's just a big-headed git, nothing more. And –" As if suddenly realizing who she was talking to, Hermione closed her mouth immediately and refused to say a word more.

Riddle noticed the change in her attitude as the atmosphere between them tensed, but he chose to ignore it as he spoke again, keeping his voice low so that only Hermione could hear him.

"There is something strange and mysterious about you – something that you're hiding from everyone here. And I just want to let you know that I'll figure out what your secret is before you know it."

"I wish you all the best then," Hermione replied curtly as she wheeled around and marched off without a second glance at Riddle.

* * *

Hermione tossed and turned in her bed that night, finally resorting to just simply staring at the faded pink ceiling of her dormitory. She could not sleep, no matter how much she wanted to. There were just too many things on her mind.

She could hear Erika snoring softly, peacefully on the bed beside hers. For a moment, she wondered how an amiable and good-natured girl like Erika could be in Slytherin. Wasn't this house meant for evil, cruel and spiteful students? Perhaps, Hermione mused, her various encounters with Slytherins like Draco Malfoy had caused her to make unfair judgments on the house. Perhaps not all Slytherins were as bad as she thought them to be. After all, _she _herself had been sorted into the same house. Even though she had begged the Sorting Hat to do so, she doubted it would have listened to her if she did not possess any traits of a Slytherin.

_Which is kind of scary in a way_, Hermione felt a smile tug at her lips as she thought. _I wonder what Harry and Ron would say when they know about this. That perhaps I'm just as bad as Draco Malfoy!_

Directing her thoughts back to a more important issue, which was the task Dumbledore had set for her, Hermione closed her eyes, concentrating on the problem of preventing Riddle from committing evil.

What could she do? Kill him? Persuade him to turn over a new leaf?

_I can't kill him! T__ill now, he is still innocent!_ Hermione argued with herself._ I can't just kill someone like that, no matter how much I hate him._

_He isn't really innocent, _A small voice at the back of Hermione's head piped up. _He had already killed his father and Moaning Myrtle._

_But persuation won't work on Riddle! It'll be a miracle if he will even listen to anything I say._

Frustrated at being unable to come to a conclusion, Hermione draped her sheets over her body and crossed her arms obstinately. _Well then, I'm just going to avoid Riddle till I figure out how to deal with him._

_

* * *

_

**A/N:** *apologises for the short chapter*

Actually I wrote out a chapter of about 3000 words, then I decided to split it up into two chapters because the story flows better that way. So since I'm already done with Chapter 7, it will be up very soon! :)

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has read and helped me to edit my story, reviewed & added this story to their favourites/alert list! & I've decided not to be so lazy so from now on I'll reply to every single review I receive, unless, of course, you don't want me to spam your email inbox with replies! :D


	7. Dippet's Little Rant

_Frustrated at being unable to come to a conclusion, Hermione draped her sheets over her body and crossed her arms obstinately. Well then, I'm just going to avoid Riddle till I figure out how to deal with him._

**Chapter 7: Dippet's Little Rant**

**Saturday, September 2****nd****, 1944**

**9.00am**

"Wake up, you lazy bum!" Hermione thought she heard a faraway voice calling her, followed by a gentle tap on her shoulder. Not wanting to get out of the comfort of her cozy bed, she turned over and pulled the covers over her head.

"HELENE!" The voice shouted again, causing her eyes to open wide in alarm as she jerked up with a startle.

"What?" Hermione rubbed her eyes, now fully awake. "Ginny, if you do that one more time, I –" She broke off midway, suddenly noticing that the blonde girl at her bedside was definitely not Ginny. She frowned in confusion as it took a while for her mind to register that Ginny was not with her. She was in 1944 now, alone, without the company of Ginny, Harry, or Ron.

"Helene? Are you okay?" She saw Erika's face above hers, her eyes concerned. Realizing that she must have looked rather gloomy and forlorn, she quickly composed her expression into a more cheerful one. "Yes, sorry, I –"

"Who's Ginny?"

"I- I was just having a dream." Hastily, Hermione made up an excuse, which she herself thought was pretty lame.

"Hmm," Erika raised an eyebrow, but she did not pursue the matter. "Whatever. Anyway, I have a message from old Dippy. He wants to see you in his office now."

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, even though she already knew the reason – he was going to question her identity, just like everyone else.

"Beats me. What did you do, drop a stink bomb into his office?" Erika teased, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

Hermione made a face at her friend as she jumped out of bed and grabbed a pair of clean robes from her closet.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Hermione was standing in front of the door of the headmaster's office, panting and out of breath. The Hogwarts in 1944 was very much different from the one she was used to. She had lost her way three times, ended up twice in a dead corner, and finally a fourth-year Hufflepuff offered to help her find her way after Hermione had bumped into her the third time.

Hermione glanced at her watch and winced. She was late – in fact, nearly half an hour late. She knocked on the door softly and apologetically, and immediately a weary voice replied, "Come in."

"Good morning, Miss Naelitte," the brown haired man behind the desk greeted her with a nod of his head as Hermione entered the office. "Take a seat, please. Excuse me for my weariness." He yawned, looking tired even though it was only the second day of school.

"Not that you could blame me - I already have so much on my plate, and now I've got a transfer student in my own school and no one even asked for my approval! Sometimes I wonder who the headmaster around here is," Armando Dippet mumbled angrily, more to himself than the girl sitting opposite of him.

"So, I have heard from my deputy headmaster that you are a transfer student from The Salem Witches' Institute." He said suddenly, staring meaningfully at Hermione, who stared back at him blankly.

"Um, yes," Hermione replied uncertainly.

"You must know that Hogwarts does not accept transfer students. I'm making an exception for you, ah yes, Miss Naelitte, an exception. And I don't usually make exceptions. People might think I'm biased, you see, though, of course, I'm not. I, Armando Dippet, am always fair and just, unlike that Dumbledore who thinks he's a know-it-all! Pfft! _He_ doesn't know how to run a school like I do!"

Hermione was highly-amused by his little rant, and she thought she detected a slight bitterness and jealousy in his voice when he spoke of Dumbledore. And it was ironic that Dumbledore _did_ become headmaster of the school, and secretly Hermione thought that he made a much better one than the current Dippet before her.

"Oh silly me, I'm supposed to be asking about you, but here I am, talking about myself! But I _am_ an old man after all. The point is, ah, uh, oh yes! I need to know what subjects you are going to take here, so I can give you your schedule."

"Well, I was planning to take Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Arithmancy, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, and Transfiguration…" Hermione rambled on, stopping when she saw the disbelieving look on the headmaster's face.

"Miss Naelitte, perhaps you are not familiar with our school's system. You do know that you need to obtain at least an Exceeding Expectations in your O.W.L.s to take those subjects, don't you?" Dippet asked sarcastically, raising one of his eyebrows at the girl who was gradually turning red in the face in front of him.

"Yes, sir," Hermione said, rather hurt by his tone. Feeling a need to show him that she was much better at her studies than he thought she was, she continued determinedly. "Actually, I have an Outstanding in every subject except for Defence Against the Dark Arts, which I have obtained an Exceeding Expectations in my previous school."

The change in the headmaster's face was definitely hard to miss. "Oh, uh, well, in that case, yes, of course you can take those subjects." He said, not doing a very good job of keeping his amazement out of his voice.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione smiled in triumph. "May I have my timetable please?"

Dippet appeared not to have heard her. "You know, at Hogwarts here, we have an Advance-Placement (A.P.) Class for those who do extremely well for their O.W.L.s. _I'm _the one who started it, of course, and that just proves that I'm better than Dumbledore, doesn't it? So, based on your results, I will put you in the A.P. class, where the lessons are more difficult. You will learn things ahead of the other students, but you will take the same exams as them."

Hermione had been listening to him with interest. An Advance-Placement Class? That was certainly new to her, and she felt eager at the thought of learning more challenging magic than her peers. She had always felt that the Hogwarts syllabus was too simple, too slow for her satisfaction, and sometimes she just could not understand why her friends failed to grasp a topic as fast as her. Being in the A.P. Class would definitely allow her to study the subjects at a greater depth and a higher level.

"You might be surprised to know that you have the same classes as our Head Boy, Tom. I suppose you have met him already?" Dippet asked, rather absent-mindedly, conjuring a timetable out of the air and passing it to Hermione. "Oh, of course, you two are in the same house."

That last piece of news caught Hermione's attention immediately. "Professor, Riddle – I mean Tom – is in the Advanced Placement Class too?" Hermione asked carefully, crossing her fingers under the desk, hoping that Dippet would tell her the contrary.

"Of course he is!" The headmaster stared at Hermione as if she was crazy. "That boy is extremely talented. He's the smartest wizard of his age that I ever met! That reminds me - I must make a mental note to inform Slughorn to let you two be partners in lessons. Yes, that's right. You'll probably need some help adjusting to the lessons. He can help you a lot in your work…"

Unaware of Hermione's horrified expression, Dippet continued to shuffle through his papers, all the time mumbling his praises for Riddle.

Hermione was not listening anymore. All that her mind had registered was that _she was going to be partners with Riddle. And avoiding him now was certainly out of question._

* * *

**A/N:** I find Dippet amusing although he's a bit out of character :D what do you think? Reviews please! Flames are welcomed too!

P.S. The next chapter will probably be up quite late. Currently I'm reviewing & editing the chapters I've already posted to see if I can make it better :) but do stay tuned!


	8. Riddle's Dilemma

**A/N: **Just to avoid any confusion, please note that this chapter is written from Tom Riddle's POV, so Helene here refers to Hermione.

* * *

_Hermione was not listening anymore. All that her mind had registered was that __she was going to be partners with Riddle. And avoiding him now was certainly out of question._

**Chapter 8: Riddle's Dilemma**

**Sunday, September 3rd, 1944**

**1.30pm**

"Tom! Hey, Tom! Wait up!"

"What?" Tom Riddle asked irritably, turning around to find an out-of-breath Abraxas Malfoy panting in front of him. Couldn't he have one moment of peace without Malfoy tagging along?

Riddle frowned as Malfoy took out a familiar coin that he recognized as the enchanted galleon he had created and distributed amongst his circle of 'friends' the year before to facilitate meetings with them. _Friends,_ he thought wryly._ I don't need friends. They are just people who are all too willing to follow my orders and carry out my tasks for me, that's all._

"…..I've been trying to find you for ages, where were you? Anyway, I just wanted to ask you when our next…meeting will be. We haven't received any messages from you yet," Malfoy rattled on uncertainly, lowering his voice to a whisper and looking around to check to see if anyone was within their hearing earshot. Seeing the annoyed look on Tom's face, he added hastily, "Black asked me to ask you."

"I have not decided yet. Learn to be patient, Malfoy," he answered smoothly. "Right now, I have something else on my mind which is much more important than your question, so if you will excuse me –"

He paused abruptly in his sentence as he spotted Helene coming down the stairs with Erika out of the corner of his eyes.

"Is it about that Naelitte girl?" Malfoy followed Riddle's gaze and saw what had distracted him. "I don't see why you're bothering to waste your time finding out about her. She's just a _mudblood, _Tom. Admittedly, she's quite pretty for one, but –"

"That is none of your business," Tom cut him off, fixing him with a cold glare, a dangerous look in his eyes. "You should get going. _N__ow_." He added, when Malfoy showed no signs of leaving.

Scowling, Abraxas Malfoy walked away, shooting a glare in Helene's direction, probably blaming her for causing his leader to be irritated with him.

After Malfoy left, Riddle let his eyes wander around the Great Hall, finally resting upon Helene. _She looks beautiful,_ a sudden thought occurred to him as he observed her carefully. Whenever she smiled, her whole face lit up. It was a smile that would lit up a room immediately, and fill the darkest dwellings with a beautiful glow that radiated from her. Her brown eyes sparkled with laughter. They were so warm, so friendly, yet so difficult to read. Her long, wavy brown hair was bushy, but it curled around her shoulders perfectly.

_What are you thinking, Riddle?_ He shook his head and kicked himself mentally when he realized what he was doing. _She is someone who will give you nothing but trouble. And she is a mudblood for goodness' sake!_

He could not tear his eyes away from Helene, however, and at that moment, she turned around and saw him. They locked eyes for the first time. Tom Riddle could not tell how Helene felt, for she broke the gaze seconds later. He thought he saw something in her eyes. Was it disgust? Embarrassment?

Snickering to himself, he shot Helene one last glance and marched away.

* * *

He wanted to know who Helene Naelitte was. He needed to know. Approaching the headmaster's office, Tom knocked on the door softly and opened it slightly.

"Tom! Come in, come in," He heard the familiar, welcoming voice of Armando Dippet and entered as he was told. He pulled out the chair from under the headmaster's desk and sat down quietly. "What brings you here?"

"Good afternoon, sir," Riddle began carefully, smiling politely at the headmaster. "I wanted to ask you a question. It is regarding Helene Naelitte, the new student. Well, I was thinking that since I'm the Head Boy, it is my responsibility to help her adjust to the life in Hogwarts. So if it's possible, I would like to know more about her and her background, for me to be able to aid her better."

"Oh yes, Tom," Dippet beamed at his favorite student, clicking his fingers as though he had suddenly remembered something. "I wanted to speak to you about that too. Helene is a new transfer student in our school. Previously, she was in Germany and attended the The Salem Witches' Institute. Apparently, she is a very gifted student, securing 11 O.W.L.s with 10 "Outstanding". You know, Tom, I think she could jolly well be the most brilliant student in Hogwarts after you!"

Tom merely smiled. He had been praised in such a manner so many times before that it was not something for him to be proud of anymore.

"So, anyway, I have informed Horace to partner you up with Miss Naelitte. She will be in the same classes as you. I'm sure the both of you would make a great pair! Sometimes I amaze myself with the wonderful ideas I come up with! What do you think?"

"I think that is a great idea, sir," Riddle answered while Dippet gave him a wide smile. He was used to Dippet's rather large ego.

_Well, I didn't think that things will go so smoothly for me. _Tom thought as he exited the office, deep in thought. His mind was working furiously as a plan started to form - a plan that would give him all his answers.

* * *

That night, Tom Riddle lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his dormitory. His thoughts, once again, returned to Helene Naelitte. There was something different about her that he couldn't pinpoint. Something that made her stood out from all the other girls at Hogwarts. Her eyes, those warm, brown eyes, that were the windows to her soul seemed so deep, yet they seem to harbor a deep secret, something that he did not understand. Something that she did not want to tell him. Something that Tom Marvolo Riddle wanted to know.

His mind flew back to the event that had occurred a year ago. Till now, he had thought it was just a joke, but suddenly he was not sure of it anymore.

[Flashback]

It happened during one of their Divination classes. That was one class in Hogwarts that Tom Riddle thought was pretty useless. How could you ever predict the future? To Tom, it was just plain "guesswork", and staring into teacups was not going to get him anywhere.

He was paired up with Edbert Nott then. Nott was one of his loyal followers, who would do his bidding without any questions. They were, as usual, supposed to look into a crystal orb and predict something - exactly what, Tom Riddle did not know, nor did he cared.

But suddenly, Nott had gone rigid in his chair. His eyes were unfocused, and his mouth was open, as if he was about to announce something of utmost importance. His body shuddered, and Tom thought that he had fallen into some sudden trance.

Then, unexpectedly, he began to speak, in a deep, harsh voice that was very different from his normal tone.

_"The wizarding world is saved...it will be saved...by a mysterious girl approaching from a faraway place in the very last year....at the very last moment....she will stop the most powerful wizard of all times...from rising to power."_

And then he fainted.

At that moment, Tom Riddle brushed Nott's predictions aside, thinking they were just another of his many false predictions that never came true. But now, he was uncertain. Could it be that Nott really did see something? After all, their Divination teacher, Professor Mopsus, had told Nott quite confidently, not once, but many times, that he had the gift of a true Seer.

"You have the rare ability to see into the future with your Inner Eye, my dear boy. You're blessed. Not many have this ability!" Professor Mopsus had exclaimed in delight, after realising that Nott was one of the only students in his class that could actually see something in the tealeaves and orbs. Riddle, along with many of his classmates, had rolled their eyes then, thinking that the Inner Eye nonsense was plain rubbish.

[End of flashback]

Tom pondered over this event. If what Nott said was true, however, then there was no doubt that the "most powerful wizard of all times" was referring to him. He knew that he was brilliant, and had an extensive knowledge of dark magic. And he was, indeed, planning to take over the wizarding world in the future. And the mysterious girl must be Helene Naelitte, who had, according to Dippet, came from Germany.

_Germany, _he scoffed. _She doesn't even have the German accent. __She must be lying to Dippet, but that is nothing surprising. He is so easy to trick that he probably would have believed me if I told him I was his long-lost son! I wonder what she is hiding, though._

But how could she stop him from becoming the Dark Lord that everyone would fear? He snickered, rolling his eyes contemptuously.

_But just to play safe, _Riddle thought_, I'd better keep a lookout for her. I don't want her to meddle in my affairs and spoil things for me when everything is going so well._

* * *

**A/N:** As usual, please review! I was wondering if I'm going too fast, too slow, or just right. Personally I thought that the story is progressing a little too slowly, so I might try to pick up speed in the next few chapters. Tell me what you think!

Just to show my appreciation, thank you everyone who read & left reviews: **LDeetz**, **PADSY**, **you-know-who xP**, **Gaili Beron**, **Alsip**, **BreadQueen42****, ****zexionace3456**, **bella**, **tomlover, ****kate**, **sam**, **CASSIE.D 101**, **Dramione-Fan 17**, **Serpent In Red**, **Isabella120**, **sweet-tang-honney**, **lovely obsession**, **Byakuya Sama **and **ncy555 **who have all been my loyal reviewers! :)

* * *


	9. Potions with Slughorn

**A/N:** I'm _so so sorry_ for the late update! I didn't like what I wrote at first so I had to edit everything again. I'm not too sure about this one too, but I decided to post it anyway instead of making everyone wait again :) So if you have any comments on how to improve it, do tell me.

* * *

_But just to play safe, Riddle thought, I'd better keep a lookout for her. I don't want her to meddle in my affairs and spoil things for me when everything is going so well._

**Chapter 9: Potions with Slughorn**

**Monday, September 4****th****, 1944**

**7.30am**

It was the first day of official lessons on Monday. To her surprise, Hermione found that she was actually _nervous _about it. Never mind the fact that her performance here would not matter, but nonetheless, she wanted the teachers to have a good impression of her from the start. It would make things easier if she needed any favors from them, too.

At the breakfast table…

"First period is Potions," Hermione confirmed, summoning her timetable over to her.

"Lucky you, Helene! Potions is at least a better class to start off the day than _History of Magic_," Erika complained, pulling a face. "And the best thing is you're going to be partners with Tom! That means you'll have loads of opportunities to speak to him!"

She looked over at Hermione expectantly, who only raised an eyebrow at her, and sighed in frustration. "Helene Naelitte, I don't get you sometimes! He's TOM. TOM RIDDLE! Shouldn't you be jumping up and down in excitement now?"

Hermione grinned in spite of herself. "I see that you haven't gotten past your obsession with Riddle."

"I give up," Erika replied, shaking her head and covered her face with her hand dramatically. "What, are you a lesbian?"

"ERIKA!"

"Alright! I was only joking!"

* * *

Hermione hurried along the empty corridor, glancing at her watch every now and then. Potions was about to start in 10 minutes, and she had no intention of being late. She shuddered as a gust of cold wind blew over her.

Just then, a tall dark figure emerged into the corridor in front of her, and started walking briskly in the same direction as her. Without even looking at his face, Hermione knew instinctly who he was.

_Make friends with him. Get to know him better. _A small voice at the back of Hermione's head suddenly piped up. She had dismissed this idea yesterday without much thought. But now, as Hermione stared at the figure of Tom Riddle, that idea did not seem so absurd anymore. Not that she actually _wanted _to be friends with him, of course.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione quickened her pace and caught up with Riddle.

"Hi!" She said brightly, faking a smile at him.

Tom looked startled for a moment, and then recomposed himself immediately. Ignoring Hermione's remark pointedly, he continued walking, not even glancing in her direction.

"The weather is great today, isn't it?" She tried again feebly, immediately regretting what she has said as Riddle wheeled around, looking annoyed.

"What do you want?" He demanded, "Why are you talking to me?"

"Um," Hermione hesitated, not expecting his sudden outburst. "Because I want to be friends with you?" she answered meekly, deciding to stick to her original plan.

Surprise flickered across Tom's handsome face, but it disappeared so quickly that Hermione could have sworn it was just a trick of the light. He did not reply, but from the way his shoulders tensed and his quickened pace, Hermione could tell that she had caught him off-guard.

"You know, since we're going to be partners in class, I though it'd be good if we get to know each other better first, just to –"

"Listen, Naelitte," Riddle cut her off abruptly, glaring at her. "I don't care who or where you're from, but I don't ever want to be _friends _with you. I'd never want to be associated with _you. _Do you understand?"

And with that, he stalked off again, leaving her alone in the corridor, stunned.

* * *

Hermione tried to ignore the dark-haired boy seated stonily beside her. The event earlier had left her in a bad mood - being the victim of a cutting remark by Riddle, even though she was trying so hard to be nice to him, infuriated her.

To take her mind off Riddle, she surveyed the classroom she was in, which was located in the cold, dark dungeon of Hogwarts. Apart from her and Riddle, there were only 4 other students in the Advanced Placement class – two Ravenclaws, one Gryffindor and one Hufflepuff.

She smiled tentatively at them, who looked back at her coldly. _Well, I guess that even in the past, the relationship between the Slytherins and the other houses is not very friendly, _she thought sadly. _And they don't even know me yet!_

"Now then, now then," a round-bellied man entered the Potions classroom, disrupting her thoughts. "Welcome to a new school-year! No time for introductions, now. Let's get busy, shall we? Take out your potion kits and your copies of _Potion Making for the Advanced Wizards_."

Hermione recognized the man as Horace Slughorn at once. He looked much younger, of course, with thick, straw-colored hair and a gingery-blond moustache. Hermione stifled a laugh when she saw that although Slughorn was not as rotund as the one that she knew, the buttons on his golden waistcoat still looked ready to burst off at any time.

"To start off, I will introduce you to a few potions. This is for enrichment purposes, of course, so I will not expect you to be able to make them. Now then, take a look at this one over here."

He pointed to a cauldron behind him. _Does he do this every year?_ Hermione wondered, as she got a glimpse of the colorless liquid which was emitting a light, silvery vapor. Her hand shot up into the air at once before everyone else's. Wincing slightly, she realized that she still could not resist the urge to answer a question that she knew the answer to, no matter what period of time she was in.

"It's the Draught of Peace potion, sir," She said when she saw Slughorn looking at her expectantly. "It is supposed to relieve anxiety and agitation."

"Very good, my dear!" the professor smiled, peering at her with interest. "I have not seen you before. Are you the new transfer student from the Salem Witches' Institution?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said in a small voice, hating to have to lie to the professor, who beamed at her widely and nodded his head in approval. "I always knew that school was good, see; told my cousin to send her daughter there. Her name is Emma. You wouldn't know her by any chance, would you?"

"I'm afraid not, professor," she answered carefully, averting his gaze.

"Well, that's a pity. She's a nice girl," Slughorn replied with a smile. "Now, can anyone tell me what this potion is?" He continued, nodding his head towards a cauldron on his right which was boiling with acid green liquid.

Hermione was just about to raise her hand again when a smooth voice beside her answered quietly, "Shrinking potion, professor."

"Brilliant, Tom! Always my star student, eh?" Slughorn said cheerfully.

Hermione turned and met Tom's eyes. It was hard to read his expression. His eyes were dark and piercing, and she shuddered involuntarily.

"What about this? Who could tell me?" The sound of the professor's loud voice jerked Hermione back to the on-going lesson. He was indicating the potion which was sunshine yellow in color beside him.

"The potion is –"

"It is called –"

They both spoke at the same time.

Tom narrowed his eyes as he glanced over at Hermione. _He didn't look very happy about me stealing his limelight, _Hermione thought, inwardly rolling her eyes. Sighing, she kept quiet, not wanting to start a row with him.

"Elixir to Induce Euphoria," Tom turned back to face the professor and answered, when Hermione remained silent.

"Excellent! Twenty points for Slytherin!" Slughorn praised, clearly oblivious to the sudden tension between his prized students. "Now, let's get to work."

"Well, today we will be making Befuddlement Draught - something easy to start off with." He waved his wand and the instructions for making the potion began to appear on the board in large golden letterings.

"Just to get you all started, we shall have a little competition today." He lifted his hand and Hermione saw that he was holding a miniscule glass bottle of molten gold liquid. "As you all should know, this little bottle that I'm holding contains Felix Felicis, or what is better known as the lucky potion."

At his very words, the classroom suddenly fell silent and Slughorn finally had everyone's full attention. Hermione hid a smile as she felt a familiar sense of déjà-vu. This was exactly what had happened in her sixth-year, too. _Seems like Slughorn uses the same teaching style every year, then,_ she mused.

"….The pair which makes the best potion shall win this little bottle of Felix Felicis," Slughorn said. "And we all know which pair that will be!" He winked at Riddle, who smiled back politely.

_I bet no teachers display their favoritism for their students as openly as he does. _Hermione observed silently, rather amused but annoyed at the same time.

"Well, hurry up and get started, then!" He clapped his hands, and there was a scraping sound of chairs as everyone scrambled up, gathering and weighing ingredients hurriedly.

Hermione held back, glancing at Riddle, who was beside her. For once, she was unsure of what to do. Should she get the ingredients? Prepare the cauldron?

Hermione Granger was not used to working in pairs.

"Stay away, Naelitte, and don't come near my cauldron," Riddle saw her hesitation and ordered her before she could open her mouth to argue. "I don't want you to mess up my potion by doing something wrong."

Hermione stared at him, her mouth hanging open with shock at his rude and selfish attitude.

"Fine!" she seethed once she managed to find her voice. _Well, I'll show him who the boss around here is!_

Looking around, she spotted Slughorn not far away from her.

"Professor?" She called out, and he turned to face her, his face questioning.

"May I have permission to make my own potion? Riddle preferred to do the whole potion by himself," She said, trying not to sound like a tattletale.

"Why, certainly, Miss Naelitte!" The professor addressed Hermione, beaming happily as if what Hermione said made perfect sense. "I must say, Tom is so advanced in his potions-making that it is quite logical for him to complete the entire task on his own."

Hermione tried her best not to roll her eyes at the professor as she scurried off to get the ingredients needed for the potion.

* * *

"Stop working, please!" Slughorn called out, when half an hour has passed. "I'll be checking your potions now."

He walked around the class, peering into cauldrons and taking down notes as he did. He gave a nod occasionally, but none of the potions seemed to reach his expectations yet. At last, he came over to Riddle, and a grin broke out on his face instantly.

"Very good, Tom! Excellent! Of course, I would not have expected otherwise from you," Slughorn praised, patting Riddle on his back. "Look, class, do you see this green potion here? This is the color you ought to have! Well, it seems that we have a clear winner now, don't we?"

"I'm sorry, professor, but you haven't looked at mine yet," Hermione's indignant voice broke him off.

"Oh, of course, my dear," Slughorn replied absentmindedly, walking over to survey hers. His eyes widened when he saw the sparkling green liquid in her cauldron. He stared at the potion for a good long while before he spoke again.

"Well, well! Good job, Miss Naelitte!" He exclaimed, surprise evident in his voice. "This is...completely unexpected! Both of your potions are equally good! Hmm...I shall split this little bottle of Felix Felicis into half and you can each take one portion then!"

"Thank you, sir," Tom replied politely as he accepted his portion from the professor. When Slughorn turned away from them, however, Tom shot Hermione a glare that clearly showed his infuriation.

* * *

"How's Potions? Was it very different from your old school?" Erika bombarded her with questions once they met each other outside the dungeons after their first lesson of the day.

"Well…a little, I suppose," Hermione said vaguely, brushing aside the question as she descended down the steps to the Slytherin common room. "We made the Befuddlement Draught, and look what I've got here!" she ended excitedly, pulling out a little bottle of liquid which was molten gold from her robes.

"Felix Felicis?" Erika's eyes grew wide as she stared at the bottle. "Let me take a look at it!"

"Yep! Ten points for Slytherin," Hermione said with a laugh, passing the potion over to her friend. "I'm going to up to get my books for Herbology. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, sure. We have the same class, remember?" Erika said, bouncing beside her lightly. She put her _History of Magic _books down gently on the table of the common room. In her hurry, she accidentally left Hermione's bottle of potion on the table, along with her books. "So, tell me how you got the Felix Felicis!"

"Well, it's quite simple actually. Slughorn wanted us...." Their voices faded away as they as they climbed up to the girls' dormitory

Unknown to them, a black figure was lurking in the corner, listening to their every word.

* * *

As soon as he was sure that Helene Naelitte was out of his sight, Tom Riddle hurried over to the table where her prized bottle of Felix Felicis was.

Drawing a bottle of colorless liquid out from his pocket, he quietly replaced the bottle of molten gold liquid with the new bottle. He cast a non-verbal spell on the bottle, and the colorless liquid inside immediately turned golden. It was almost impossible to tell that the bottle of liquid had been switched.

Tom snickered after he had completed this task. He had replaced the Felix Felicis potion with Veritaserum, a potion that forced the drinker to tell the truth. He was going to keep an eye out for Helene Naelitte that day. When she consumes the potion, he would immediately demand her to tell him the truth of her identity, and she would have to obey. Smiling at his own brilliant plan – or so he assumed – Riddle left the common room, with Hermione's bottle of Felix Felicis hidden under his robes.

* * *

**A/N:** This is my longest chapter yet, so please do review! Reviews = Motivation, so I MIGHT be able to update quicker if I have more reviews! & I really want to upload the next chapter soon because I rather like its plot :)

Biology SPA next week - wish me luck! :D


	10. Complete Confusion

**A/N: **Some of the effects of "Veritaserum" portrayed in this chapter might not be true. I wasn't sure of what it causes the drinker to do other than to tell the truth, so I probably made up some of its effects (i.e. the drinker does not remember that he had drank the potion and what he has said).

So do bear with me for the moment, yeah? :D

* * *

_When she consumes the potion, he would immediately demand her to tell him the truth of her identity, and she would have to obey. Smiling at his own brilliant plan – or so he assumed – Riddle left the common room,with Hermione's bottle of Felix Felicis hidden under his robes._

**Chapter 10: Complete Confusion**

**Monday, September 4th, 1944**

**11.15am**

Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black climbed through the trap door of the low-ceilinged, dungeon-like Slytherin common room together, talking in a low voice. As Malfoy glanced up cautiously to check if anyone was near them and could be possibly listening to their conversation, he suddenly caught a flicker of gold from the corner of his eyes. Squinting his eyes slightly, he realised, with a jolt, that it was a tiny bottle of Felix Felicis!

Malfoy was not stupid. He knew what Felix Felicis was and what it could do to the drinker, and a wave of excitement washed through him. Now that he thought about it, Tom did mention something about Professor Slughorn rewarding him and that new girl, Henny or whatever her name was, with a bottle of the lucky potion when he met him in the corridor just now.

_This is my lucky day, _Malfoy grinned to himself. _That careless mudblood must have left her potion here. Well, finders keepers!_

He glanced over at Black momentarily, who was still whispering to him about the latest schemes Tom planned. Apparently, he did not seem to realise that his companion's attention had already been diverted to a bottle of molten gold liquid.

Malfoy certainly did not intend to share his findings with anyone, especially not Black.

"Hey, I just realised I left something in the Transfiguration classroom. I have to go back and take it." He lied blatantly, cutting Cygnus off abruptly. "You go up first."

Without waiting for a response, he turned his back on Cygnus and pretended to walk off. His companion shrugged, and began making his way towards the boys' dormitory.

When he was sure that Black was out of sight, Malfoy hurried over to the little green table by the armchair. Smirking at his surprising but satisfying discovery, Malfoy grabbed the bottle of Felix Felicis from the table and in one big gulp, finished the whole bottle without even examining its contents.

_Of course, he did not know that what he drank was not what he thought it was._

* * *

Hermione Granger had just come down the stairs in a hurry, holding her thick green Herbology book in her hands. She had just asked Erika where her bottle of Felix Felicis was, and her friend had replied apologetically that she could not remember where she had left it. She glanced around the empty room worriedly, searching for that tiny spark of golden liquid.

That was when she noticed Abraxas Malfoy sitting in an armchair by the fireplace, staring at the crackling fire. He sat as still as a statue, not moving at all.

Despite her strong dislike for Malfoy, Hermione still felt concerned when she saw the unnatural blank look on his face. Frowning, she approached him slowly. "Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly. "What happened?"

"I drank your Felix Felicis potion," He immediately answered honestly, his eyes still empty and emotionless. "It was on the table." He did not even look in her direction while he mouthed those words.

Hermione was rather taken aback at that straight-forward statement. He said it so bluntly, so openly, that she could hardly believe that a Malfoy had spoken if she had not seen it with her own eyes. She glanced at the table beside him briefly, and noticed that her bottle of potion was there, but now, it was just an empty bottle. _So he must have been telling the truth, _Hermione thought, surprised.

But something was wrong.

Hermione knew enough to realize that Malfoy was definitely not under the effect of Felix Felicis. The aforementioned potion was supposed to give the drinker a sense of happiness, confidence and opportunities. This did not fit into the current description of Malfoy, who had an unusually unfocused look on his face. His voice had been flat and expressionless, instead of joyful and confident.

The idea that Malfoy might have taken Veritaserum suddenly came into mind. All the symptoms that he was showing were pointing to this fact.

_But...how could that be? _Hermione stared at Malfoy, questioning her own rather absurd idea. _Is it possible that it really IS my lucky day today?_

Hermione's intelligent mind worked furiously, listing down all the possibilities. She _was _shocked at her discovery, but at the same time, rather thrilled. She had no idea how Malfoy could have drank Veritaserum, but she knew that if her assumption was correct, she could work this situation to her advantage. If Malfoy was forced to speak the truth now, she could learn a lot about Tom Riddle. Things that he would never tell her.

Hermione did not know how long the effects of the potion would last, so there was no time to lose. Barely holding back her excitement, she pulled an armchair to face Malfoy, and once she was satisfied that he could not be pretending to be under the effect of Veritaserum, she started her little "interrogation".

"What do you know about Vol - Tom Riddle?"She asked, deciding to stick to something more neutral first, just in case he was not under the effect of Veritaserum, and would be able tell Riddle everything she asked. She crossed her fingers in the hope that her deduction was right and that he would answer in all honesty.

"Everything. Tom and I are very good friends. He tells me EVERYTHING. He has many great plans for the future, and I'm proud to say that I'm involved in them. We're together in a group here, and Tom has recruited other Slytherins into it, too."

Hermione smiled. It seems like he was indeed speaking the truth, or at least, what he _believed _to be the truth.

"Is Tom the leader of your...group? What do you do?" Hermione questioned carefully.

"Yeah. We all look up to him as our leader. We have meetings together frequently, and Tom would instruct us on his latest plans. He usually gives _me _important tasks to do." While he was saying this, Malfoy smiled and wore a proud look on his face. Upon seeing this, Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust, but made no comments.

"Meetings? What kind of meetings? And when are they held?"

"We usually meet once a month in the Room of Requirement, or whenever Tom feels that it is necessary. Recently the meetings have been getting more frequent. He would inform us of the date and time a few days before using an enchanted galleon that he gave to us."

"Enchanted galleon? Can I see it?"

At this, Malfoy seemed to hesitate. "It is a very important galleon. Tom told me to take good care of it."

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't mind you showing me. I just want to see it, that's all." Hermione smiled at Malfoy, keeping her tone light and reassuring.

"Here it is," Abraxas fished around in his pocket and emerged with a galleon that looked no different from any other. With a jolt, Hermione realised that it was similar to the fake galleon coin that she had created for the purpose of the meetings of the Dumbledore's Army in her fifth year. _Seems like we have something in common, then._ Hermione thought wryly.

"Thanks, I'll be keeping it," Hermione said as she snatched the coin from Malfoy's hand. Seeing her companion opening his mouth to argue, she quickly silenced him with another question.

"When's your next meeting? Did Tom tell you?" At her words, Malfoy stopped trying to retrieve his "precious galleon" and answered her question immediately.

"Next Tuesday at 9.00pm. It is our first meeting this year and Tom has told us it will be very important. I can't wait for it!" He ended, with the excitement similar to that of a little child.

Hermione chose to ignore his behaviour. On the contrary, she smiled. She had gotten a lot more information than she had expected.

**

* * *

Tuesday, September 12, 1944**

**8.00pm**

More than a week had passed since Hermione had first arrived in 1944. She had enjoyed her stay here, and made many new friends apart from Erika, who remained as her best friend. She still tried to make polite conversations with Riddle, who either ignored her or replied with an insult. She did not stop trying, though, because she knew her time was limited, and that the future of the wizarding world depended on her.

Today, however, was an important day for Hermione.

Excusing herself from the Slytherin common room with a lie that she had to meet a professor for school work purposes which no one suspected, she quickly rushed out of the room and proceeded along the familiar corridors which she had explored during her free time for the past few days, to the extent that she could almost memorise the route which she was taking now.

She breathed a sign of relief when she finally found the room which she had been looking for – The Room of Requirement. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she started pacing back and forth in front of the room, mumbling repeatedly, "I need to see the place where Tom Riddle have been holding meetings...a place whereby he meets monthly with his followers."

On her third try, she opened her eyes expectantly, and beamed when she saw the appearance of a highly polished door in place of the blank wall moments ago. Not wanting to be seen by anyone who might possibly be there already, she pulled open the door and sneaked into the room silently. Fortunately for her, she was so early that there was no one in the room, at least, not that she could see.

The room was filled with cushioned armchairs, bookshelves, various magical instruments, and loads of parchment and quills.

Glancing around for a hiding place, her eyes sparkled as she saw an old broom cupboard in the corner of the room. _Perfect,_ she thought happily, opening the broom cupboard, and coughing as she waved the dust away.

Hermione saw that she still had about half an hour before Riddle and his followers would arrive, so she decided to explore the room first. Anyway, the lesser time spent inside that dirty cupboard, the better. She looked around and immediately headed towards the large wooden table, where a pile of parchments and scrolls lay. Flipping through them briefly, she understood that these were minutes taken during Riddle's previous meetings. Taking this as a good opportunity to find out about his plans, she sat down on one of the armchairs and started reading the most recent copy.

She had barely finished the first page when she heard the door opening and voices flying into the room.

"Well, Tom is absolutely right. I mean, how else would you ensure that he could accomplish his plans before graduation?"

"Keep quiet, Rosier. I would like to speak for myself."

Hermione recognised the voice at once. Gasping, she quickly returned the scroll she was reading to the table, dashed across the room, flung open the cupboard door and closed it immediately as she stepped inside. She tried to calm her wildly-beating heart, relieved that she had not been seen. Opening the broom cupboard door slightly, she peered outside, careful not to make anyone notice her.

She saw that a group of about eight people entering the room. Most of them were males, but she could see two females amongst them as well. One of them, Rosier, was talking rapidly in a high-pitched voice as she settled down into the silver armchair. Some of the other members nodded as she spoke, but Hermione noticed that Riddle did not look pleased.

"I have already said, Rosier, that will not be workable. I believe that I had made myself clear." He spoke up, fixing his dark eyes upon the blond girl. She shrank into her chair, at once, unable to meet his gaze.

There was silence for a moment, before Riddle opened his mouth again. "Let us begin our proper meeting now. We have wasted quite a lot of time listening to an _useless _suggestion made by someone who clearly could not think before she speaks." At his words, Druella Rosier looked extremely uncomfortable and kept her head down. "This, I believe, is our last year here at Hogwarts. We must try to accomplish as much as possible before we leave. The incident last year must not be repeated again – Prewett, do you hear?"

He addressed the other girl who was seated beside him.

"I'm sorry, Tom," the pretty brown-haired girl replied. "It won't happen again." She smiled at him rather flirtatiously. _Anyone_ could see that she was interested in him, but all Riddle did was to gave her a curt nod and proceeded to other matters.

"Now, as I have mentioned, we face a problem this year. Dumbledore has already began to suspect us, so we have to –"

_Not now, please, not now! _Hermione prayed, as her nose started to twitch uncontrollably. Before she could do anything about it, she sneezed. _Loudly. _The sound echoed and seemingly magnified as Hermione remained silent, cursing herself. _Why, oh why had she not thought of cleaning the cupboard before hiding inside?_

Everything was still and silent, and she hoped against hope that somehow, she had not been heard. Her hope died soon, however, as she heard footsteps approaching her. Such a loud sneeze could hardly be ignored by anyone.

_Oh no, _Hermione thought with a growing dread, as the footsteps became louder and nearer.

* * *

"Tom, we found _this,_" Abraxas Malfoy dragged Hermione to the front and threw her down forcefully. "_mudblood _spying on us."

Tom Riddle looked at the girl in front of him with interest. This had never happened before. Absolutely no one apart from his small circle of followers knew about their secret monthly meetings, and he had sworn them to secrecy a long time ago. He knew no matter what, they would not dare to disobey him, so how did this girl find out about them?

He looked at the girl more closely, surveying her. It was then that she lifted up her head and stared at him defiantly. With a jolt, Tom suddenly realized that the girl he was staring at was _Helene. Helene Naelitte._

Tom froze on the spot. His brain was working furiously. _Really, who IS this girl? Could she know much more about him than he thought she did?_

"I wasn't spying on you!" Helene's defensive voice drifted into his thoughts. He shook his head. _He would think about that later. Dealing with her is more important now._

"Shut up! No one asked for your opinion, you filthy little mudblood!" Malfoy shouted, pointing his wand at her. Tom frowned. Somehow, he did not like where this was going.

"Don't you dare –"

"Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson then. You don't seem to know how to respect people who are above you!" Malfoy sneered, a cruel smile forming on his face. "Crucio!" A jet of red light shot from his wand and hit Helene squarely.

Seeing Helene writhe and scream in agony, Tom Riddle suddenly felt angry with his closest and most loyal follower.

"Malfoy, did I give you permission to use any spell on her?" He addressed him with his smooth, dangerous voice, his dark eyes icy with fury.

"What? But –" Malfoy opened his mouth to argue, and then shut it seeing the look on his leader's face. "I, well….No, sorry, Tom." He muttered, lowering his wand.

Riddle was vaguely aware of all the stares from his followers. He glared at them, and each one looked away quickly as his piercing eyes met with theirs. He glanced down at Naelitte, who had squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

"Tom, what should we do with her? We can't possibly let her off after what she has seen." Black spoke first, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"I know! We could try that new spell that you created, Tom. That wouldn't really harm the girl, but she'd at least learn a lesson," Malfoy suddenly piped up excitedly, seemingly having forgotten what had just happened between him and his leader.

"Denoro?" Riddle mused. It was a spell that he recently invented, one that could temporarily immobilise the person it was casted on, and make him or her unable to speak or move for as long as the caster wishes.

_Yes, _He wanted to say. _I have been looking for someone to test my spell on. This mudblood here would do a pretty good job of being my test subject ._What came out, however, was, "Not now, Malfoy. I do not wish to punish her just yet. Bring her back to the common room, and erase her memories of our meeting."

"What?" He spluttered.

"You heard me," Riddle narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Do I have to repeat myself?"

When Malfoy stayed rooted to the ground in shock, Tom gave an irritated sigh. He cast a glare in Malfoy's direction and reached forward, scooping an unconscious Helene up.

With Helene in his arms, he turned towards his circle of followers, who were all staring at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head, and ordered, "Do not tell anyone else what happened today. You will forget that this incident has ever occurred."

* * *

Tom Riddle hated himself. He had no idea why he did that. By that, he meant preventing Malfoy from casting a spell on her and actually bringing her back to the Slytherin common room himself.

He threw a dirty glance at Helene, who was still unconscious and lying in the couch by the fireplace where he had placed her. _She _was the cause of all his troubles. _She _had caused him to look like a fool in front of all his friends. If she wasn't here, none of this would have happened. _And he wouldn't have felt the sense of protection for her that he did just now._

_I'm just curious about her,_ Tom tried to reason with himself. _That is why I don't want her to be harmed before I find out more about all, I had already hurt and killed so many people. Why would she matter to me? She is just another student, and worse, a _mudblood _whom I would never want to be associated with. _

_She'd bring me nothing but trouble._

He was just about to leave when he saw Helene move slightly from the corner of his eye. She pushed herself up, rubbing her head, a confused look on her face as she looked around the room, seemingly unaware of his presence.

"Naelitte, I believe that you owe me an explanation," Tom spoke suddenly, breaking the silence in the room.

Helene's head whipped around when she heard the silky voice, her eyes widening in alarm when she saw him.

"R…Riddle?" She finally managed to say, gaping at him.

"Is that all you are capable of saying?" Tom asked sarcastically, glaring at her. He was not in the best of moods now, and he certainly did not wish to talk at lengths with the person who had brought him so much trouble.

"Weren't you…I mean…Malfoy…I saw him and…" She tried to say, and then gave up. Clearly, she had not fully regained her consciousness, and somehow, Riddle was thankful for that. "Why are you here? Did you bring me here?"

"What do you think?" He was gradually getting annoyed with her never-ending questions. It was no wonder that everyone called her a "know-it-all". Always snatching his spotlight and asking questions. Always answering questions. _Always making him curious about her._

When Helene remained silent, he continued. "I want you to forget everything that you have seen today. Do you understand?"

She looked at him, stunned, for a moment before carefully replying, "I don't know..."

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear enough. You will forget everything that has happened up till now." He repeated, a dangerous edge in his voice now. Before giving Helene a chance to respond, he turned and made his way towards the exit of the room.

"Wait!"

Her voice halted him immediately. He turned around, though he was not sure _why _he did. It was unlike him to obey commands from other people, but there was something in Helene's voice that actually made him want to _listen _to her.

"Uh, thank you, f-for just now," she stammered, flashing a smile at him, and even he could tell that it was obviously forced.

He did not reply, but wheeled around and left the room, without so much as a backward glance towards her.

For once, Tom Riddle didn't understand. Why was Helene trying so hard to be friendly with him?

* * *

**A/N: **Whew that was pretty long! :D I was reading my previous chapters & I was wondering if my are characters are OOC. I know that Hermione might not seem so much like herself sometimes, but I thought it was okay as long as she doesn't go too out of character. Tell me what you think!

Exams have started two weeks ago, which is the reason for this late update (but I made it up with the quantity!). I have a few more exams to go, so do be patient!

Anyway, to everyone who reviewed, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!(: Yay this story has broke the 5000 hit count(: If you had added this story on your Fav/Alert list, please just leave a comment as to why you liked it/didn't like it. Just click that little box with the green words below - pretty please?

P.S. It's Mothers' Day tomorrow! What are you guys getting for your mom?

* * *


	11. Reunion

_For once, Tom Riddle didn't understand. Why was Helene trying so hard to be friendly with him?_

**Chapter 11: Reunion**

**Wednesday, September 13th, 1944**

**12.15am**

Hermione glanced over at the clock on her bedside table idly. Her mind vaguely registered the fact that it was already past 12 midnight, but she was well awake even at this hour of the day.

Currently, she was lying comfortably on the soft, white mattress of her bed, her eyes squeezed shut in frustration. She could not for the life of her figure out Riddle's behaviour earlier that day. For what reason did he bring her back to the common room for? Was he guilty of doing what he did to her? Didn't he want to torture her like Malfoy did?

_Perhaps, just perhaps, he was not that bad after all? _A small voice at the back of Hermione's head whispered, but she brushed the thought off immediately. That was impossible.

_Despite being such a bright student, Hermione was oblivious to one of the most apparent reasons for his actions – Maybe he did it just because he wanted to protect her. _

It was at times like this that Hermione desperately wished that she had someone that she could really talk to and confide in. The first person that registered in her mind was Dumbledore, but he was, well, in the future, and there was no way that Hermione could contact him at all.

_Or is there? _The thought suddenly occurred to Hermione as she sat up excitedly. _Didn't Dumbledore tell her not to dwell too long in the past, and return to her present surroundings every now and then? Perhaps, she COULD return to the future through her own abilities after all?_

Hermione felt a wave of nostalgia wash through her right then. It has been ages since she had seen her old friends and teachers, and she really missed them, especially Harry and Ron. Being back in a familiar environment might help her clear her thoughts, too.

Making her decision immediately, she slid off the bed quietly, slipping her feet into her shoes by her bedside. Looking around to ensure that all her dorm mates were still sleeping soundly, she half-smiled when she saw all the snoring girls, completely oblivious to what she was doing. Carefully, she opened the dormitory door, wincing as it cracked slightly, and sneaked downstairs. If she was going to do this, she had to make sure no one knew about it.

Peering into the deserted common room, Hermione tip-toed inside silently. And tripped over an opened Charms textbook lying on the floor.

"Ouch!" She let out a cry, then immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. A long period of silence followed before she dared to heave a sigh of relief from the knowledge that no one had heard her. It was when she was about to pick herself up from the cold stone floor that she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Naelitte?"

Startled, she wheeled around quickly, only to find a dark figure standing at the foot of the staircase leading into the common room.

"Lumos!" She mumbled, as the tip of her wand lit up immediately, shedding light on the person before her. Even without looking at him, Hermione already knew who it was.

_Tom Riddle._

"W..What are you doing here?" She asked accusingly, after a brief moment of silence where they regarded each other. She had thought that the common room would be empty! How coincidental it was for her to find the person she did not want to see the most right before her very own eyes!

His dark eyes narrowed as he approached her. "That is a question I should be asking you. Why are you sneaking around in the common room in the middle of the night?"

"I…I have something to do," She stammered, her voice faltering under his sharp look.

"And what is that?" He raised an eyebrow expectantly, a faint hint of curiosity playing on his face.

Hermione avoided his gaze and looked away, remaining silent. _How could she tell him the truth of what she wanted to do? And she herself knew that she was a bad liar. Making up a story would just make him more suspicious of her, given his uncanny ability to detect lies._

"You heard me. What do you want to do?" He repeated slowly, not as patiently this time.

That was when something inside Hermione's brain snapped. "I don't think it's any of your business. Why don't you just leave me alone?" She shot back suddenly, glaring at him.

His eyes widened slightly for a second before returning to their original state. From the way he glanced at her icily from the corner of his eyes, Hermione could tell he was not happy with her reply.

"Very well, I'll leave now. I hope you are happy." His voice was cold and bitter as he turned and marched away from her.

She stared at his back, surprised. She had expected him to be angry, to lash out at her or at least come back with a cutting remark, but he did not do any of those. In fact, he only looked annoyed and well, somewhat exasperated.

Thinking back on their conversation, she could not help but feel slightly guilty. She had snapped at him when all he did was to question her like any other person would. That was not right, no matter what his identity was or how much she disliked him.

"Riddle, I..." Hermione started to call out, and then trailed off as he ignored her pointedly, not even casting a backward glance as he climbed up the staircase towards the boys' dormitory.

She sighed, then shook her head determinedly. _Riddle would have to wait. Focus on what you are going to do! _

She withdrew her wand from her pocket, and took a deep breath. As much as she hated to admit it, she _was_ nervous. After all, she had never practiced, no, never even _heard_ of such a spell until Dumbledore told her about it a few days ago.

What if it did not work for her as well as it did for Dumbledore, who was one of the greatest wizards of all times? What if, casting the spell required such advanced magic that she could not do it?

Well, she did not want to think about those possibilities right now. _Dumbledore won't let me be stuck here forever, right? _She comforted herself with that thought as she pictured the wise old man as she had last seen him, giving an uneasy laugh. _He won't leave me alone here, right? I have to trust him._

_It's now or never. _Reassuring herself again that everything would be fine, Hermione pointed her wand at the large empty spot in the middle of the common room.

"Sempiternitas Portativus!"

She had closed her eyes as she cast the spell, afraid that the result would not be favourable. Opening one eye cautiously, she almost jumped up in joy when she saw a brightly glowing circle forming at the exact spot she had pointed her wand at.

Feeling rather pleased with herself, she stepped forward until she was standing in the middle of the large circle. And felt the familiar sensation of being sucked into a black hole once again.

* * *

**Wednesday, 6 January, 1998**

**9.45pm**

When Hermione opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on a four-poster bed. Raising her head slightly, she regarded the round, circular room. It took a minute for her mind to register the fact that she was in the familiar girls' dormitory of the Gryffindor Tower. She smiled ruefully - she had definitely missed this place.

She pushed herself off the bed and glanced around, her eyes settling on the clock on her dresser: Wed, 6/1/1998; 9.45pm.

_So she was indeed back in the present. _She could not help but feel relieved that the portal had transported her to the right time period. Now, to find Harry and Ron. Where could they be? The answer was pretty obvious. Opening the door, Hermione skipped down the spiral staircase leading into the common room, surprisingly light-hearted now that she did not have to deal with the problem of encountering Riddle anymore.

The Gryffindor common room was nearly empty, with the exception of four students. Hermione's face broke into a wide smile as she spotted Harry and Ron engrossed in a game of chess, with Lavender cheering Ron on and Ginny seated beside Harry, reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

"CHECK!" Ron's expression was triumphant as he moved his chess piece, successfully trapping Harry's knight, causing the latter to groan in defeat.

"That's the third time you beat Harry! I'm so proud of you, Won-Won!" Lavender cried, jumping up to throw her arms around Ron and giving him a long snog, oblivious to Ginny's exasperated expression.

Hermione decided that it was time for them to acknowledge her presence. She coughed. "Excuse me for interrupting, Lavender, but I think your _Won-Won_ needs to come up for some air. Look, his face is all red now."

At the sound of her voice, Ron's head suddenly snapped up. His expression was so shocked that it was all Hermione could do to stop herself from bursting into laughter. There was a moment of silence as all four Gryffindors turned and gawked in her direction.

Lavender, as usual, broke the silence with her high-pitched shriek. "HERMIONE! Ohmygosh, Hermione, is that _really_ you?"

"H-Hermione?" Harry stuttered, staring at her as if he had not seen her for years.

"Holy cow, Hermione!" Ron gaped at her, wide-eyed. "Where'd you go? We haven't seen you for ages!"

"Well, I don't know where you've gone, but welcome back, Head Girl!" Ginny's warm voice greeted her, her eyes twinkling. "We've missed you!"

Hermione laughed. She knew she had some explaning to do to her friends later on, but for now, it was definitely good to be back with them.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay I know I haven't updated in a long long while. Forgive me please? :D I kinda got stuck on this chapter, so I left it for a while and worked on furture chapters. Sorry!

I know this isn't a very good chapter; it's more like a filler actually ):

P.S. It's my birthday tomorrow! *hints* & I'll be at camp D:


	12. The Revelation

_Hermione laughed. She knew she had some explaining to do to her friends later on, but for now, it was definitely good to be back with them._

**Chapter 12: The Revelation**

**Thursday, 7 January, 1998**

**1.15pm**

Hermione was sitting alone in the library, with _Hogwarts: A History _lying across her lap. She was not really reading it, of course. Her mind was wandering elsewhere, or more specifically, 54 years back in the past. She sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration as her thoughts once again went back to Tom Riddle.

In her subconscious mind, she vaguely remembered being carried back into the common room. It was strange, but she had felt a familiar sense of security then, as if she would never be harmed as long as she was in those arms.

_What on earth are you thinking? _Hermione frowned as the irony of the situation struck her. Riddle was the one who killed all her loved ones, and she actually felt _safe _in his arms? The mere thought of it seemed ridiculous.

"Hey, Mione?" A hesitant voice interrupted her thoughts, followed by a gentle tap on her shoulder.

Turning around quickly, she was startled to see Harry standing behind her, looking at her worriedly. "Dumbledore wants to see you in his office."

"Oh, sure," She closed the book, attempting a smile at her friend in the process. "Thanks for the message. I'll be going now."

As she stood up, she felt a hand grab her arm firmly. "Hermione, are you really OK?"

Hermione nodded her head a little too quickly and enthusiastically. "Yes, of course I am. You don't have to worry about me." She reassured Harry, hoping that he would not pry into the matter any further. _Yeah, like anyone being sent back 54 years into the past and given the task of stopping the greatest wizard of all times could be OK._

Harry ruffled his messy black hair, and sighed. "Look, Hermione, you're one of my best mates, and if something is wrong, I'd know it," He began, looking rather awkward, but determined to let out what was on his mind. "Right now, I'm certain that there is something up that you're not telling us. The story you told us yesterday? I'm not buying it. If you don't want to talk about it now, it's OK, but just know that we'll all be here for you if you ever need someone to talk to."

[Flashback]

"Where _did_ you go?" Ron had eyed her suspiciously once the excitement of Hermione's return died down.

"Well, see, I, erm, I'm on an exchange programme." Hermione had been raking her brains for ideas for a while, and so far, this was the best excuse she could come up with.

"_Exchange _programme?" Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Sorry for not informing you. Dumbledore gave me a really late notice and I didn't have enough time for preparation." Hermione tried her best to look remorseful as she avoided eye contact with her friends.

"Ooh this is so interesting Hermy! Which school did you go on an exchange programme with?" Lavender squealed excitedly, unwrapping her arms from Ron's neck and joining Hermione on the couch.

"Oh, Durmstrang!" The words were out of Hermione's mouth before she could stop herself. She winced – she should have said some other distant school which was less well-known! A famous school such as Durmstrang, which all her friends knew so much about, would give her away far more easily if she makes an error in her story.

"Is Krum there too?" Ron scowled at the mention of the school, causing Hermione to stare at him, surprised. Apparently, he still never got past the fact that Hermione agreed to go to the Yule Ball with _Krum_ instead of him.

"No, Ron," she sighed exasperatedly. "He left the school long ago. He was already a seventh-year when we had that Yule Ball, remember?"

"Oh, right," He muttered, still looking rather grumpy.

"Won-won!" Lavender called out, looking indignant at his sudden interest in Hermione and Krum. "Why do you care about Krum anyway!" She frowned, a sulk apparent on her face.

"I wasn't -" Ron opened his mouth to argue, rolling his eyes at Lavender.

Hermione tried to suppress a laugh as she looked towards Harry and Ginny, ready to make a joke out of Ron and Lavender's childish bickering. To her surprise, the two of them were unusually silent. Ginny had fixed her with a rather stern stare, while Harry looked at her worriedly. But before either of them could open their mouths to speak, an indignant Lavender broke the silence.

"Harry! Be our judge. Ron's being unfair again – he's telling me that…" Lavender's shrill voice used to annoy Hermione, but for once, she was actually thankful for it. She knew what her two best friends were thinking of, but she was just not ready to be confronted by them.

[End of Flashback]

Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes as she nodded. "Thanks, Harry. That really meant a lot to me."

Harry smiled in relief. "Great." He gave her a little push. "You better get going now then. You'll be late for Dumbledore."

Hermione threw one last grateful smile at him before hurrying out of the library. It did not take a genius to figure out what Dumbledore would want her for. Still, she felt a little apprehensive as she headed towards the headmaster's office.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," The familiar voice of Albus Dumbledore greeted her as she entered the large circular room through the polished oak doors. "Have a seat please. From your expression, I trust that you have brought me some news from the past?" He smiled, clasping his hands together and looking at her expectantly.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione pulled out a chair as she sat down, facing the headmaster. "Actually, I have already had many encounters with Riddle, but I don't think I'm any closer to stopping him from turning to the dark side." She then proceeded on to tell him about the happenings so far. "And...Professor, I've been thinking about why Riddle would actually save me from Malfoy's curses, but I couldn't find any logical explanations." She added, after a moment of hesitation.

Dumbledore had nodded and listened intently as Hermione spoke, falling silent as the latter finished her recount of events. Abruptly, he stood up and left his desk, pacing up and down the room, with Hermione's eyes following him closely.

"Thank you for voicing to me your doubt about Riddle. I cannot tell you why he behaved that way, though I do have some speculations. Perhaps, I should tell you more about Riddle's complicated character. It will help you to understand him better." He paused, waiting for a response from Hermione. When he got none, he continued. "I would like you to remember something, Hermione. No one is born evil. It is the way a person is brought up and the people around him that influenced his behavior and personality."

That took Hermione by surprise. "But, professor –" she started to say, but was cut off by the headmaster who raised a hand to stop her mid-sentence.

"Yes, Hermione, I know what you think, and it is the only logical conclusion that anyone would jump to, after seeing the cold, hard facts before our very own eyes - the people that he killed, the dark power that he possessed. Although Voldemort is a detestable figure, we have to bear in mind that Tom Riddle is only seventeen. He was abandoned first by his father, then by his mother. He was brought up in an orphanage, and he was lonely. He had no friends, no guardian to tell him what he was supposed to do."

"But, sir, Riddle has already killed both his father and Moaning Myrtle. Surely, that must mean that he is heartless and merciless, even at such a young age?" Hermione argued, unsure of what Dumbledore was implying. _That Riddle wasn't evil? But again...how could that be?_

"Tom killed his father out of hatred. His very own father abandoned him, Miss Granger, and never cared to discover what had become of his own son. He had indirectly caused the death of Tom's mother, and subjected Tom to the misery of living alone in the orphanage. Tom's mother chose death instead of saving herself with magic, even when she knew she had a son that needed her. What would you do, Hermione, if the only ones who had a connection with you abandoned you, because they are too weak or they just did not bother? He has never had a happy childhood. Tom Riddle, despite all his wrong doings, is to be pitied."

"I…I didn't know that, professor," Hermione whispered, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. _No one should have to go through that kind of childhood, even if it was Riddle. It just wasn't fair._

"If there had been someone, showing him love and care at this stage in his life, it is very possible that he might have taken a different road of life, one that does not involve him becoming Voldemort. Tom Riddle has never experienced real love in his seventeen years of existence. How could he be able to show others love, if he had not been shown that himself? Miss Granger, I am by no means making excuses for Tom's behaviour, nor the path he has chosen by himself. All that I am saying is, perhaps what he needs is just love, like the rest of us." Dumbledore said gently, looking at Hermione intently.

"Wh..what do you mean, sir? What am I supposed to do, then?" Hermione stared at the headmaster standing before her, feeling more confused than ever.

"You are an intelligent student, Hermione. Please trust your own judgement, and I am sure you would be able figure out what you should do without me telling you." He smiled at the annoyed look on Hermione's face. "Sometimes, Hermione, it may be better to listen to your own heart than your mind. Not everything can be resolved by fighting."

The room fell silent once again. The two occupants in it were each absorbed in his or her own thoughts. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and tried to link everything she has heard from the headmaster together. _Tom Riddle needs love. So, perhaps the only way to stop him from turning completely evil is to start by caring for him? Ugh, how I hate that thought! How can I care for someone who has brought nothing but destruction to us, even though now I know that it may not be his fault completely?_

"Well, Miss Granger, I think that you already have an idea of what you want to do. Now, don't waste any time and return to the past immediately. Remember, we don't have much time left. Please hurry." Dumbledore urged, his tone suddenly serious again. "As for your friends here, I think that perhaps I can help to cover up for you. Good luck, Miss Granger."

Hermione barely suppressed a sigh as she stood up, ready to leave. "Thank you for your help, Professor." She said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. _That was _really_ helpful._

_

* * *

_

**A/N:** Thanks for all the birthday wishes and reviews! :D Now we have 9000+ hits for this story. So please review if you're reading this, okay?  
I'll make up for the lack of interactions of HG and TR in the next chapter. I hope this story turns out successful too, cause although I do have a general plot in mind, I'm just making up the chapters as I write(:


	13. A Trip to Hogsmeade

**A/N:** -winces- sorry for the really long delay in the updates! I _could_ blame it on my busy schedule with exams and stuff, but well, it's my own fault for being so lazy and procrastinating. Forgive me? :D

Just to clarify, for the last chapter as well as this one, what old Dumbledore meant as love was more like "love and concern", he's NOT match-making them!

Anyway, I have made some minor edits to the previous chapters. No major changes to plotline or whatsoever, but more characterization to make the story flow more smoothly(: so there's no need for you to re-read those chapters to understand the story better. I'll probably be editing my work more and more as I progress, but I'll let y'all know if I have made any major changes.

Without further ado, I present you the long awaited chapter 13 :D

* * *

_Hermione barely suppressed a sigh as she stood up, ready to leave. "Thank you for your help, Professor." She said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. That was really helpful._

**Chapter 13: A Trip to Hogsmeade**

**Thursday, 7 January, 1998**

**4.00pm**

Hermione sank down onto the chair in the Gryffindor common room, pondering over what the headmaster had just told her. The normally crowded room was now empty as her fellow classmates were having lessons. Hermione had considered joining them for to reduce suspicion, but decided against it. As usual, Hermione was thankful for the silence – it helped her to think a lot more clearly. Right now, what she needed most was time to sort out her thoughts and feelings alone. Hermione was an intelligent student, but when it came down to relationships with others, it just was not her forte.

With a tired sigh, Hermione closed her eyes and rested her chin on the table, letting her arms hang down limply from her sides. _Honestly, _Hermione thought, rather bitterly, _this thing with Riddle is draining me out. If it wasn't for him, I could be enjoying my last year in Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, and writing graded essays and catching up on my reading!_

Hermione raised her head and stared at a blank spot in front of her. Taking a glance at the clock on her right, she groaned in frustration. She was wasting time, dilly-dallying around. But how she hated the thought of facing Riddle, and taking on a false identity again! And worse still, this time, she actually had to, dare she say it, care and show love for him, despite the irreplaceable damage and harm that he had caused to the people she truly loved.

_But, _Hermione reminded herself quietly, _he did save you from Malfoy. Maybe Dumbledore was right. Maybe all Riddle really need is someone who can show him what love is. For someone to guide him onto the correct path._

Hermione snorted right then. _Do I seriously believe that I can be that person? To shower him with so much love and concern that he actually chooses to abandon all his evil plans?_

Annoyed with herself, she shook her head firmly. No, she was _not_ going to have this debate with her inner self. Not now. Regardless of whether she could or could not do it, she still had to try. _You agreed to Dumbledore's plans._ She told herself resolutely._ You're not going to back out now. Dumbledore has faith in you, so have faith in yourself!_

With new-found determination, Hermione took out her wand and uttered the familiar spell as a circle of blue once again opened up on the floor.

* * *

Back in the headmaster's office….

"Dumbledore, what on earth are you thinking?" The portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black burst out loudly once Hermione left the room. "Asking a self-centered youngster to prevent the young Dark Lord from rising to power? And giving him _love?!_" He snorted disbelievingly as he spat out the last word.

"Love is a very powerful thing, Phineas," the headmaster said softly, stroking Fawks with one hand while gazing out of the window, lost in his own thoughts. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"But still! Dumbledore, a student! A dim-witted, ignorant adolescent! I honestly doubt that she can actually do it," Phineas protested, looking indignant and irritated.

"I have complete faith in Miss Granger." The reply was simple and curt. Phineas snorted again, but said nothing more.

* * *

**Friday, September 15th, 1944**

**6.23pm**

_Ouch, _was the first thing that registered in her mind as Hermione landed on the cold, hard stone floor of the Slytherin common room in the fifty-four-years-ago-Hogwarts. Even after travelling via the same method for three times, she still did not manage to land on her feet once.

Rubbing her head, she glanced up, only to see a first-year Slytherin staring at her, her mouth dropping open in shock.

"W-where…how'd you…I saw you fall from up there," the girl asked hesitantly, pointing a finger up at the ceiling.

Quickly, Hermione scrambled up from the floor, straightened her robes, and offered the small girl an embarrassed smile. "I was just practising a spell," Hermione told the girl reassuringly, her mind making up a story as she talked. "I'm sure you'll get to learn it when you're older, too."

The young Slytherin's face changed from fear to awe. "Woooww! That's so cool! I _have_ to tell Millie about it!" She squeaked excitedly as she started running towards the girls' dormitory, no doubt to tell her friend about the new "magic" that she has seen.

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from laughing out loud. The elated look on the little girl's face was just too much, even for her.

"Naelitte, what is so amusing?" A silky voice behind her made her whirl around immediately. Riddle was walking towards her across the stone floor, his voice betraying no emotions other than slight interest.

"N-nothing," Hermione faltered, schooling her face to feign ignorance. "Why are you not at lessons?" She asked quickly, desperate to turn the attention away from herself.

"There are no A.P. classes right now," Riddle replied, a smirk appearing on his face. "Did you injure your head? Or has your days of disappearance made you forget about your timetable?"

Seeing Hermione stiffen immediately at his words, Riddle's mouth twitched upwards slightly. _If she did not know Tom Riddle so well, Hermione would have thought that he was actually _smiling_._

"I am right, am I not? Do not think that I did not notice your…absence."

Hermione winced inwardly. She glanced up quickly into those cold, yet questioning eyes of his, and then lowered her head again. She desperately raked her brains for a logical excuse for her absence, but her efforts were in vain as she came up with nothing.

"And do not even try lying to me. I know that you were not in Hogwarts." Riddle's voice drifted into her thoughts as he stared at her, sensing her hesitation.

Hermione took a deep breath to prevent herself from lashing out at Riddle and his annoying, inquisitive questions. "Look, I just…had to do something, and I had to leave the school for a while, OK?"

"And what important matter might that be?" He asked in that infuriating tone of his, raising one of his eyebrows slightly in amusement.

Perhaps it was this tone of voice that greatly annoyed Hermione, for she shot back, "I don't think it's any of _your _business to question what I was doing."

Riddle contemplated her for a moment before leaning forward until their faces were just inches apart. "Naelitte, what are you hiding? Where are you _really _from? And what is your purpose here? You are not just a transfer student, are you?" He whispered quietly, before leaning back, enjoying the effect of his words on her.

Hermione had always worn her emotions on her sleeve, and it was not difficult for Tom Riddle to tell that she was greatly affected by his words. As he spoke, her face had turned as pale as a sheet. Her mouth opened and closed, but she was suddenly at a lack of words as she continued to stare at Riddle.

Sensing that Hermione was not going to give him a satisfactory reply, Riddle turned away from Hermione. His robes brushing across the floor, he left the room looking pleased with himself, leaving a silent Hermione staring after him.

* * *

_Stupid, stupid Riddle, _Hermione fumed as she glowered at the figure of Riddle leaving the room. _Who does he think he is?_

_The future Dark Lord, of course. _The voice at the back of her head piped up again.

_Oh, be quiet. I can't hide my false identity from him much longer, he'll be bound to find out someday. What should I do?_

_Complete this mission before he finds out then._

_Easier said than done, _Hermione snorted. _I doubt that I can change him just by caring for him, which is already hard enough to do given his current attitude._

_Then help him. Help him to realise that there's something more important than power. Love._

_You're beginning to sound like Dumbledore here, _Hermione accused her inner self.

_But you know I'm right, don't you? You must teach Tom Riddle the one thing that Dumbledore wants him to know._

_I really am going crazy with this whole Riddle business, _Hermione thought, rubbing her temples. _Since when have I started talking to myself?_

_

* * *

_

Moments later, Hermione stepped out of the common room into the chilly, dark corridors of the dungeon. Pulling out her colour-coded timetable from her bag, she scanned through her schedule of the day, before realising that she had came back at such a late timing that it was nearly time for dinner in the Great Hall.

Not wanting to be the first to arrive for dinner, Hermione leaned against the cold stone walls outside the Potions classroom, where she knew Erika and many of her fellow housemates were having lessons. She was just contemplating whether or not to make up an excuse for her absence, in case Erika asked, when the doors to the classroom opened. She barely heard Professor Slughorn shouting over the noise of students pushing back tables and chairs ("Now, don't forget to hand up your essay on the Top 10 Potions for Emergency Use next week!") before a swamp of students filled out of the room, scrambling past each other as they rushed out of the dungeons.

"HELENE! You're here!" Hermione was greeted with a sudden whirl of golden hair as Erika saw her and ran over. Laughing, she hugged Erika, whom she had missed even though she had only left for two days.

"I've missed you! Where'd you go? We were so worried!" Erika grinned as she stepped back, looking at her friend curiously.

_Uh-oh, _Hermione thought, barely preventing a sigh from escaping her throat. But luck was on her side for now. She was saved from answering Erika's question as Slughorn spotted them and shouted, "What are you two girls still doing here? Run along, now. You don't want to be late for dinner! And Miss Erika Allen? Where is your essay for Potions of the World?"

Exchanging an exasperated look with Erika, who poked out her tongue at the Professor when he turned away, both of them hurried to follow the other students who were leaving the dungeons.

* * *

Dinner at the Great Hall was delicious, as usual. This time, they had chocolate torte and mango pudding for dessert, both of which Hermione was very fond of.

"Ah, good evening," When the last traces of the chocolate tart had faded off the plates, Armando Dippet rose from his seat, clapping his hands to get the full attention of the students in the Great Hall. "As you all know, the annual Hogsmeade trip is this Saturday, which is tomorrow, in case you have forgotten. As your very responsible headmaster, I have decided to change the rules slightly this year, with consultation from the teachers, of course. Oh, some of you may disagree with me, but I, Armando Dippet, always have the best suggestions!"

At this, the previously quiet Great Hall was suddenly filled with snickers and titters, and Hermione could not resist chuckling herself.

"You'd have thought that by now, we'll all be used to his large ego," Erika commented with a laugh. "But no, he always manages to surprise us with his absurdity!"

"Silence! I haven't finished my speech!" Dippet called out. "As I was saying, all of you are allowed to choose your own partners this year to Hogsmeade, instead of the teachers pairing you up in previous years. So…"

His voice, however, was drowned in the loud, excited whispers that broke out in the Great Hall at his announcement.

"Ohmigosh, Helene, did you hear that? We can choose our own partners! Who do you want to go with?" Erika squealed, grabbing Hermione's arm excitedly as soon as Dippet plonked back down onto his chair, looking annoyed.

"You mean, we're not going together?" Hermione asked carefully, feeling confused at the sudden excitement in the hall. _Isn't this just another of those Hogsmeade trips that Hogwarts always organises during the weekends?_

Erika rolled her eyes impatiently at her friend's ignorance. "Helene, I do want to go with you, but don't you see? We're going in _pairs. _This is a golden opportunity for us to go with a boy to Hogsmeade, and we can't miss it! So, is there anyone you'd fancy going with?"

"I haven't thought of it yet," Hermione said truthfully. She had no idea who would actually want to go with her, given that she was still a new transfer student and knew few of the people here. "Who are you going with?"

Erika did not reply her. Instead, she cast a glance over at the Ravenclaw table on her right. Hermione followed her gaze and spotted Conor Jacklins, a friendly seventh-year Ravenclaw that was in many of her A.P. classes.

"Conor? I thought you'd want to go with Vol- I mean, Tom?"

"Oh, _him,_" said Erika exasperatedly. "I realized that it is simply _impossible _between us since he obviously does not even acknowledge my presence! I'd much rather go with Conor. He's just so adorable, don't you think?"

Hermione shrugged. As far as she was concerned, she was just here temporarily on a mission. It would be best if she did not get close to anyone, except for say, Tom Riddle.

* * *

"Tom, will you be going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Abraxas Malfoy asked, his mouth full of food.

Tom Riddle threw him a look of disgust before replying, "No. You know that I don't go on such trips. Why should this one be different?"

"I just thought…," Malfoy hesitated, swallowing his food before chancing a glance at Riddle.

"Yes? You can continue." Riddle's voice was cold, but strangely curious.

"I…I mean, since you take such an interest in that mudblood Naelitte, I just thought that maybe," He winced under Riddle's stare. "You'd…want to go with her..?"

Seeing the look on Riddle's face, he quickly added, "Of course, you don't have to. I'm just saying since it might be a good opportunity…for you to…well, find out more about her?"

Riddle was silent for a while. When he looked up at the rather nervous-looking Malfoy, he had a smirk on his face.

"You're right. I think I _will_ go with her. This is a wonderful chance for me to find out more about that mudblood. I want to know who she is, and why she is here," Riddle said slowly, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

* * *

After the dinner, Hermione walked out of the Great Hall amidst the crowd of chattering students and headed back to the Slytherin common room on her own. Erika had left as she had prefect duties – patrolling the corridors to ensure that every student returns back to their common rooms instead of loitering around the school.

For a brief moment, Hermione felt a heavy feeling in her chest. If she hadn't been chosen by Dumbledore for this mission, she could have been executing her Head Girl duties and running the school together with Harry, too.

"Hey, Helene! Wait up!" A cheery voice disrupted her thoughts. Turning around, she smiled when she saw Conor.

"Hi, Conor," She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. "Is anything the matter?"

"Uh, I was thinking if you'd want to, you know, go to Hogsmeade with me?" He asked, giving her that crooked smile of his as he waited expectantly for her response.

Hermione winced. Conor was a nice guy, and she would definitely not mind going to Hogsmeade to him. But after what Erika had told her about the nature of the trip, she hesitated. She did not want Conor to get the wrong impression that she was interested in him as more than a friend.

"I'm really sorry, Conor. Why don't you try asking Erika instead? I think she might like to go with you." Hermione said gently.

Conor's face fell visibly, but he still managed a small smile at her. "Yeah, OK, no problem. Then..I guess I'll see you around."

Hermione watched as Conor jogged away, barely suppressing a sigh. _If only I weren't here for the sole purpose of getting closer to a certain Tom Riddle._

_

* * *

_

As she was about to turn and leave, a voice behind her stopped her dead in her tracks. "Naelitte, why did you reject him?"

_Riddle. _Hermione squeezed her eyes in frustration as she recognised his voice. _I don't need this. Not now. But unfortunately for her, Tom Riddle sauntered up to her seconds later._

"I…I'm already going with someone else." Hermione stuttered, before realizing a second too late that she had no obligations to answer Riddle's question. "And well, I don't have to explain anything to you."

"I don't think so. Even if you are, cancel it, because you'll be going with me to Hogsmeade. Be at the Great Hall by 9am on Saturday. Do you hear me?" Riddle replied obnoxiously, pointedly ignoring what Hermione had added on. With that, he left, a smirk visible on his face, leaving Hermione to gawk after him, speechless.

_Who does he think he is?_ Hermione fumed inwardly once she got over the shock that Riddle had given her. _Does he seriously think I'll go to Hogsmeade with him? I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts alone!_

_But then again, isn't this too good an opportunity to be passed up? After all, you'd be alone with Riddle, and you can talk to him without being interrupted by say, Malfoy. What do you have to lose? _

* * *

The next day, however, Hermione found herself waiting at the foot of the staircase in the Great Hall against her better judgment. She had managed to convince herself that it was only right for her to accept Riddle's "invitation" and go along with him to Hogsmeade. And, well, nearly every student was going to Hogsmeade. She did not want to be one of the few that are left behind in Hogwarts with nothing to do and no one to talk to. And perhaps it would do her good to get away from the castle for a while, to get some fresh air and help her to think better.

_And most importantly, if she want to teach Tom Riddle how to love, she had to start now before its too late._

_

* * *

_

Tom Riddle sneered triumphantly as he entered the Great Hall, his gaze sweeping across the hall and finally landing on Helene. She was wearing a light-pink sweater that matched her eyes perfectly, together with a pair of simple dark blue jeans, complimented by her dark brown sneakers. Her eyes were darting around anxiously, and Riddle was secretly amused by how fidgety she seemed to be.

_What he did not understand, however, was why his own heart started thumping loudly in his chest once he saw her._

* * *

"Looking for me?"

Hermione whipped her head around immediately, only to find Riddle's pale but undeniably handsome face smirking down at her.

"Well, you _are_ late." She replied simply, before heading towards the exit of the hall, where most of the students had already gathered, engaged in their own conversations.

"Why did you come?" Riddle's sudden question caught her off-guard, making her mouth drop open in surprise. She wheeled around to find him standing at the same spot with his arms crossed, a sneering look visible on his face.

"Excuse me? You were the one who asked me to go to Hogsmeade with you!" She retorted indignantly, staring up at those intense dark eyes of his.

"Do not make me laugh, Naelitte. I know that you do not want to come, but you still did. Why?"

Hermione took a deep breath to prevent herself from lashing out at her counterpart. "Look, Riddle, do you want to go to Hogsmeade or not? If you don't want me to go, I can just leave this instant," Hermione glowered, her irritation with Riddle getting the better of her.

Riddle raised his eyebrows at her, his piercing stare making her uncomfortable. "You are being defensive and avoiding my question. Well, I will settle that later with you. Now get a move on before Flitch comes over."

She opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. If she was going to achieve her goal of teaching Tom Riddle to love, she had to get on his good side, and treating him with obvious irritation was definitely not the way to go. Wordlessly, she marched towards Flitch and joined the long queue of noisy and excited students, with Riddle following closely behind her.

* * *

The two of them left the school and walked towards Hogsmeade together, Hermione doing her best to ignore the stares that they were getting from the other students. She overheard several murmurs of "Isn't that Tom? Why is he with _her_?" or something of the sort. Riddle must have heard them as well, for he turned and silenced them with a look.

They walked past the tall stone pillars and turned on to the road into the picturesque village of thatched cottages and shops in silence. Now that they were out of the school grounds, Hermione felt that somehow, it was her duty to struck up a conversation with Riddle. After all, she was the one who wanted to know him better.

"Well, where do you want to go?" Hermione asked nervously, her voice breaking the thick silence between them. "Three Broomsticks?"

Riddle narrowed his eyes slightly. "What is that?"

"Y-you don't know what Three Broomsticks is? It's the most well-known inn in Hogsmeade. Nearly every student has went there at least once before." Hermione told Riddle, her voice full of incredulousy. "Wait, do you..do you mean to say that you've never visited Hogsmeade before?"

"I..am not one to go on such childish trips. This is my first time at Hogsmeade." Riddle replied, his voice strangely strained.

"Oh." Hermione was taken aback at his response. _Is he so arrogant that he doesn't even want to go on Hogsmeade trips, even though it's such a big part of the school life at Hogwarts? Then...why did he change his mind this time? She didn't voice her queries out loud though._

_The two continued in silence as they turned on to the main street of Hogsmeade. Hermione sighed inwardly. She'd much rather be enjoying such a trip with Harry and Ron than Riddle, who was proving to be more and more difficult to talk to. _

"Where were you the past few days?" Riddle's sudden voice disrupted her thoughts, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. Seeing the look on her face, he continued. "I know have asked you before, and I'm asking you again because you did not give me an answer."

"And I still don't think I owe you any explanations." Hermione replied, moments later, her calm voice not betraying her true emotions.

Riddle narrowed his eyes dangerously. It was not going to work on Hermione, though. She stared back at him steadily, her determined oval face showing no fear in the sightliest.

"I want to know." He demanded simply. "I will repeat again for the last time. Where exactly were you, Helene Naelitte? And what were you doing?"

Suddenly, Hermione could not take it anymore. She was angry at her own situation, at how she had managed to get herself into such a position. And how Riddle was not making this any easier for her, but instead she had to tolerate with his arrogant and domineering attitude. "Why do _you _care anyway?" She burst out, glaring at Riddle. "To you, I'm just another mudblood, aren't I? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Riddle stared at the girl before him. Her words cut deeply into his heart, and he started questioning himself. She was right, he realized. When did he even start to care about where she was? Or rather, _when did he start to care at all?_

* * *

**A/N:** This long chapter was incredibly fun, but hard to write, mainly because it's the first time that Tom and Hermione really interacted, and the fact that I actually forgot some parts of my own story (so I had to went back and re-read the chapters) doesn't help either, but I only have myself to blame for that –sigh-

Do you think their relationship developed too fast? Too slow? Is there too much going on in this chapter? Comments please! & I hope you don't mind the many line breakers in this chapter!

13,000 hits! Thanks for all your lovely reviews(: Do keep them coming! I'll probably take longer to update from now onwards (as compared to my first few chapters), because I'm beta reading stories and also working on another story. I'll keep y'all updated if I post a new story!


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